


The Claiming

by CynthiaK2014



Category: CSI: NY, NCIS, Stargate SG-1, Without a Trace
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, F/M, M/M, Metafiction, Mpreg, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-24
Updated: 2015-06-24
Packaged: 2018-04-06 00:24:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 89,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4200861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CynthiaK2014/pseuds/CynthiaK2014
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This got started in 2005 and kept going for a bit.  I kept finding people to put in and when I decided to do all of the Magnificent Seven as children, it went a bit crazy.   But crazy can be good, even fun.</p>
<p>Originally posted under my pseudonym - Athea Holmes.  Only 21 chapters so far with 3 interludes because 5 year old Ezra is just too adorable.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

********* Jack ********* 

I’m feeling old today. Daniel and Sam are cavorting in the green waves on this alien beach and I’m sitting in the shade like an old man watching them play. Okay, they’re cute as hell and maybe I’m smiling a little but I’m not admitting it to anybody. Wiping my forehead, I drink some more water.

Janet confiscated all the beer before we came through the gate. Damn her anyway.

Old and cranky – I silently add. If I can just shake this headache, maybe I’ll do a little swimming of my own. My eyes crinkle while I try to remember when I’d last gone into water for recreation. Huh, it’s been longer than I thought. I heave a big sigh just because I can and watch the kids keep running around the bend and out of sight. At least the drinking water is cold, that insulator thing from our last planet really keeps things chilled.

Motion to the left catches my eye and I turn my head just enough to watch Teal’c finish removing his pants and stride confidently into the surf. My mouth goes dry; my palms start to sweat; and I pop a woody between one heartbeat and the next. Oh damn, this is so not good. I want to close my eyes – really, I do but I’m helpless to cease watching the man who holds my heart.

He’s more of a god than Apophis ever was. Gleaming golden skin; rippling muscles from his splayed feet to his bald head; strong arms stretching towards the sun; the tightest ass in a thousand worlds flexing as he enters the water; oh god, water sluicing over skin the way my hands want to; his broad chest hairless; the water beads heading straight over the ‘x’ on his otherwise flat stomach to the proud cock rising from his groin; dark eyes glowing in the light of this alien world – 

Eyes, shit, he caught me staring again. I drop my gaze and make very sure I’m concentrating on my absolutely fascinating mug of water.

********* Teal’c ********* 

O’Neill is watching me again but he pretends he is not. His behavior is puzzling. When we are on a mission, he watches all of us to make sure we are all right and any danger is kept from our team. There is no pretense. He protects us and we protect him. I am a protector myself and I understand this. But this other watching is different and I remember what Daniel Jackson said when I asked him about it. 

He got rather red-faced when I detailed some of the times I had noticed this ‘look’. We spoke in circles it seemed to me until I asked him about an Earth legend I’d read about early Greek warriors called Hoplites. He’d broken into a smile then and nodded happily before detailing why the current military preferred not to – he had paused and searched for some few moments for the correct word.

Utilize such warriors or even know about them. He spoke of a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy with severe repercussions for those who failed to do so. Dismissal from the military and even bodily harm could accompany such an event. His look of sorrow told me he perhaps had experience with that outcome. He also mentioned the role of leader to subordinate and how those roles could be abused by someone less honorable than Colonel O’Neill.

But I replied ‘I am an alien and therefore not a member of his military’. He smiled then and nodded agreement but reminded me of how seriously O’Neill took his job as team leader. He used the term ‘mother hen’ which made no sense but he told me not to worry about that. He suggested I approach him when we were off duty and therefore not in our normal roles. But we had been on duty for 87 Earth days until the human members of the team were fatigued and in two cases injured.

General Hammond had called us into his office, all four of us, and ordered us to take a vacation off world. He’d mandated we go as a team to the same place and even chose the planet for us. P3Q65 is a semi-tropical world inhabited by no civilizations above the level of microbes, which in turn are not harmful to Humans or Jaffas. We arrived this morning and moved into small huts built by an earlier team.

Supplies will last us for two weeks. I intend to show O’Neill his interest is returned. He is a strong man and honorable but with me he does not need to be the strong one. He will relax soon, then I will show him how the Jaffa love.

I leave the water and cross the hot sands to where he sits. It is time.

********* Jack ********* 

Shit, he’s coming, and he’s going to ask me questions. And I have no answers but the truth, and I really don’t think that’s what he wants to hear. Damn it, look at him. He’s big and warm and hard and everything a man could want. I’m old and gray with a bony body and more scars than any one man should have.

“O’Neill, forgive me if this is not what you wish.” He kneels at my side, and I glance up with what I’m sure is a puzzled look on my face.

Then he leans in and those lips are on mine. My eyes close, and I fall into his arms like a sixteen year old with his first kiss. I’m weightless and damn near boneless while breathing in the warm musk of him. He smells like fresh baked bread or maybe the first snow of winter. And he tastes of salt and something I’ve never tasted before. But I want more. 

His tongue is thick and tasty in my mouth, and I suck on it like a babe at his mother’s teat. My fingers smooth the warm skin of his shoulders and suddenly I need more – more skin, more taste, more moans. Is that me? My brain catches up to me, and I pull back reluctantly.

“Teal’c?” Great, now I sound like a breathless male Monroe.

“O’Neill, Daniel Jackson has told me of the restrictions your military places on warriors who love their own kind.” His eyes are dark but fiery at the same time. “I follow where you lead when we are on duty. But when at leisure, I would like to show you how the Jaffa love each other.”

“Love?” Again with the breathy-ness.

Those strong fingers stroke the side of my face and down my jaw to smooth a soft caress to my throat. “Love as warriors and friends, O’Neill. I do not need a ‘mother’ but a lover.”

Mother? I wonder briefly but it takes too much effort to try to think. I’m tired of thinking anyway but I need to warn him. “I want to, Teal’c. But I’m not good at love or caring or anything but . . .”

Soft lips stop me cold. My tongue is pulled into the warm wet cavern of his mouth and that wonderful taste is back. Cinnamon, maybe. While I’m trying to figure the taste-thing out, he gently pulls back, and I open dazed eyes to gaze at him.

The look on his face is one I’ve never seen before. “You are an excellent caregiver, O’Neill. And I think you hide your love for fear of being hurt. I shall not hurt you.”

Then the world goes a little wonky, and I clutch at those broad shoulders to try and keep my balance. It takes me more than a moment to realize he’s carrying me away from the beach. Damn, he’s strong and with a sense of freedom, I decide to let him take charge for now. I’m a little tired of the responsibility of my life and the lives of everyone it’s my duty to protect.

Maybe I should tell him that? “Teal’c, thank you.”

That slow smile on my normally stoic Jaffa’s face is one I’d like to see again. “You are welcome, O’Neill. Will you let me love you?”

My headache is still there but it’s not important any more. The rest of my body is waking up all over. “Please, Teal’c.”

The smile is back, and I tentatively give him one in return. My arms hug that thick neck of his while one hand smooths the soft skin at the back of his skull. Then the sunshine is muted, and I realize we’re inside the hut I threw my bag into earlier. He gently sets me down on the rush mats beside the bed, and I clutch at him until the world stops spinning. Strong fingers pull my t-shirt from my pants and over my head in one fast motion.

I’m scrawny compared to him, and I drop my eyes so I don’t have to see the look of disappointment.

********* Teal’c ********* 

I know he is not shy although his look is and I wonder why his shoulders are slumping. “O’Neill, is what I am doing displeasing to you?”

“NO,” he stands up straighter while his hands clutch at my arms. “I . . . guess I just don’t think I look very . . . um . . .”

“You have a warrior’s body with the scars of battle boldly scattered upon your beautiful skin.” I tell him the truth and see his eyes go wide. Ah, I have found the reason. “You do not look as my fellow Jaffa but rather as an exotic creature from some of the myths of my people.”

“Exotic?” He snorts and quirks his upper lip. “I’m about the least exotic person on this planet. You’re the one who looks like a golden soldier of myth.”

My hands continue to strip away the clothes from his body. “I have heard some of the others in the mountain say I am too ‘beefy’. Your lean shape is much admired when we are in the gymnasium.”

His eyes flash fire. “You’re not beefy. You’re nothing but strong muscle and bone. Don’t listen to them.”

Good, he is forgetting his original misgiving. “I simply observe. If my body is pleasing to you then I am content. Your body is more than pleasing to me.”

I turn him gently so he sits on the bed after I slide down his pants. Once I untie his boots, I can ease them off. His long fingers trace the golden symbol in my forehead. His smile is sweeter now.

“You’re beautiful from the top of your head to the soles of your feet.” He sighs a little when his pants slide off. “Are you sure, Teal’c?”

I move his legs onto the bed and slide him over the cool sheets to the middle of the wide mattress. Then I join him and take his hand to lay it upon my pouch. “I am very sure, O’Neill. Are you sure you do not mind being this close to my symbiont?”

His eyes drop to the large ‘x’ of the pouch which houses the infant Gou’ald. A gentle finger traces the opening. “For a long time I didn’t think I could. But he keeps you healthy and alive. I owe him for that.” Brown eyes meet mine with that little wrinkle between them. “What will he think about us making love?”

Good, he knows this is lovemaking. “He will feel my pleasure and respond by releasing endorphins into my blood stream.”

His smile is slow but almost incandescent. “That gives you more stamina, I’m betting.”

I stroke my hands over his long arms. “I have long been known for my stamina.”

He shivers but I do not think it is with cold. “Good, because I don’t have much at the moment. I guess I’ll just have to lie back and let you do whatever you’d like with me.”

My shaft rises at his surrender and his eyes drop to watch it swell. He licks his lips and I find I must have them again. His taste is clean like sweet water and I suck on his tongue to release more of that nectar. His little moan hardens me further and his shaft rises to meet mine when I move a hand to caress it. Now he gasps and arches up a little while I move my left leg to part both of his.

He is open to me everywhere and the little sounds he makes fire my blood as no other has ever done. Wantonly he spreads his legs so I can move between them. His testicles hang out in the open beneath his shaft and I wonder yet again at how vulnerable that makes human males.

********* Jack ********* 

His touch is fire and I’m burning alive. I feel open . . . vulnerable . . . needy. His lips scorch my skin everywhere they roam. He’s moving down my chest to my nipples where he pauses to nurse with his soft mouth. I never knew that would feel good but it does. I moan again and feel his lips smile against my flesh. Then he moves down my chest to my stomach and the achingly hard cock waiting for his turn.

Warm . . . heat . . . molten lava flowing around me while my hips arch up to get more of him. My hands hold his head as if afraid he might leave me but his palm my hips and ass cheeks. That’s so close to my crease and suddenly I ache to feel his touch there. I’ve never given myself to another man that way. Never dared lose control like that. Do I want to now?

Hell yes. I want everything he can give me. But I’ll think about that later. Right now he’s sucking on me and I’m leaking like a hose set to trickle. That tongue of his should be declared a lethal weapon. It’s wrapping around me like a symbiont and the moment I think that, I explode like a 10 kg bomb.

I think I blacked out. There’s a steady thump under my ear and my mattress has some very interesting lumps in it. Big hands are slowly working out the kinks in my spine and I feel like purring. “Teal’c, ‘es good.”

“You taste like the fabled macha of my world, tart and sour at the same time.” His voice rumbles through me. “Are you all right?”

I don’t have the energy to move but I manage to swipe my tongue over a convenient nipple. His hands pause and tighten over my ass cheeks, right where I want them. Clearing my throat, I tell him, “I’m better than I have ever been in my life. Sometimes humans overload on pleasure and pass out. It’s a compliment, big guy.”

“Ah, that is good, O’Neill.” His hands begin to move again, up my spine then down.

“Teal’c, does making love the Jaffa-way mean I can get you to fuck me?”

He moves under me and I realize he is laughing silently. That gives me the energy to prop myself up and look at him. Eyes shining and his mouth curved upward make me smile in return.

“It will be a joy to share my body with you, O’Neill. But we will take our time so I can prepare you properly.” His hands close possessively over my ass and a blunt finger moves slowly through my crease to the small hole hiding there. “Humans appear to be very small here and I am large.”

I shiver with an odd combination of fear and need. “Slow is fine so long as you know I want you inside of me.”

His gaze heats in a heartbeat. “I wish this, too. Daniel Jackson gave me information on the human body and what it is capable of. You do not self lubricate like the female of your species does. Jaffa, however, do secrete sufficient fluid to make penetration easier. Shall I demonstrate?”

I am suddenly weak with anticipation. “Yes, please.”

His hands tug my legs down over his hips so I’m splayed open for him. My cock slides over the stomach pouch while his springs up between my cheeks. Grabbing it, he rubs it up and down my crease until I begin to feel something warm and liquid begin to spread along my skin.

It’s almost hot and I squirm a little at the odd sensation. Then his fingers are there instead and one is rubbing the fluid into my hole and the heat and pressure make me want to open up to him. The tip of one finger slides in and I clench around it in reflex before relaxing again. It goes deeper and while it feels odd, it doesn’t feel wrong. Instinctively, I stretch up so I can kiss him while he’s finger-fucking me.

His tongue surges into my mouth and mates with mine while that thick finger sinks slowly inside of me. I bite his tongue when a fire ball flashes through me. But he just chuckles and does it again. I pull away to breathe – okay, pant is more like it.

“I find it intriguing that all human males have this gland that gives such pleasure but think it unmanly to stimulate it.” His perplexed look makes me smile.

“Well, I knew about it and never bothered to try this before.” I rock back onto his finger for more of the fire. “From either side, giving or taking.”

“Never, O’Neill.” He pauses and I freeze.

“Um, well, when I was younger, I was a bit of a prude and after my marriage fell apart, I kind of froze up and didn’t bother about sex.” I flex my ass muscles and he goes back to moving back and forth. “So yeah, it’s been a while since I indulged.”

“Then I am honored you have chosen me to be your First.” His finger leaves me and I whimper at the loss.

“Sh-h-h, I fear this position will become a strain on your back, O’Neill.” He rolls us to our sides and straightens my lower leg out so he’s not lying on it. But my other leg he leaves over his hip so I’m open to him. “You must tell me if there is any pain. Jaffa do not delight in pain, not among their brothers.”

“I promise, Teal’c. More,” I rub myself against him wantonly and his chuckle makes me smile with pleasure.

He rubs his crown over my hole again and more of that slippery fluid comes out until I feel some go inside the tight muscle. This time, when one finger slips in, he crooks it and a second one comes in, too. There’s a feeling of extreme fullness and almost pain but I concentrate on relaxing and accepting them. I find myself reaching blindly for his lips and he kisses me while his fingers slide deep.

********* Teal’c ********* 

He is a virgin to male loving. I feel something I never felt before. Apophis was my First and he took me to prove his superiority with the pain necessary to show me my place. There were no emotions but pride in my duty to service my god. But O’Neill has chosen me out of love to be his mate. He does not understand all he is giving me and all I can give to him but I will tell him more when he is ready.

For now, I prepare him slowly while feasting on his delicious mouth. Two fingers are barely half the thickness of my shaft so it will be a while before he is fully stretched. My secretions have a slight muscle relaxant in them and that is helping but his channel walls are still tight around me. It will be paradise when I am seated within his depths.

“Oh, god, that’s good.” He is panting and rubbing his shaft against my stomach. I feel the moment when my symbiont awakes and comes to the surface to taste the new sweat along the edges of the pouch.

My lips nibble down his neck then up to the small ears that cling to the side of his head. He is so soft here while the rest of his body is hard with muscle and taut skin. His skin tastes of spices not known to the Jaffa and for a moment, I pity my brothers their lack.

He shudders around me while I stroke the small nub the book had described. It is intoxicating to watch his skin flush and his shaft swell against me. It is leaking that musk I found so tasty, and I wonder what my symbiont will think of it. O’Neill is too far into the pleasure to realize that ‘Junior’ as he calls him had partially left the pouch to taste the fluid leaking from the hard shaft.

I kiss him again because I wish to drink the sounds he’s making. They are intoxicating to me and the more I hear, the more I wish to release from him. His hands are gripping my shoulders and when I pull out my fingers for more lubricant, his moan is almost a scream.

“More, Teal’c.” His eyes are fevered and his shaft pulses out more seed. “Empty . . . I feel so empty without you inside of me.”

My shaft spurts straight into him and his whole body flushes with heat. He is chanting something that sounds like ‘in, in, in’ when I ease three fingers inside of him. Then his shaft bursts upon my stomach in long spurts of salty liquid. My symbiont cleans it from my skin with a little trill of delight. He finds it as tasty as I do.

My fingers gently flex within him and he comes back to me with a start.

“Am I stretched enough for you,” his hand slides down to stroke the soft skin of my shaft and I shudder at his touch.

“That is for you to tell me, O’Neill.” I brush small kisses over his sweaty face and watch him smile sweetly at me.

“I’m so relaxed right now, I can’t move.” His eyes are soft and slightly unfocused. “Turn me over and come in that way. Somebody told me once it is easier that way.”

********* Jack ********* 

He looks into my eyes for a long moment before nodding. His fingers leave me and the empty feeling returns. Then he’s moving me like I weigh nothing so my back is to his front. Oddly, I feel like my stomach has been washed. There isn’t any come there at all. Weird.

But all thoughts flee when I feel the blunt crown of his massive cock nudge between my cheeks. A long moment passes before hot liquid eases into my hole and I feel myself relax. Pressure makes me widen. . . . and widen . . . and widen. For the first time, pain flares through my lower back. He pauses then and begins to move away.

Putting a hand back to his hip, I stop him. “Give me a moment, big guy. He wants in and god knows I want him inside of me.”

“There is no hurry, O’Neill. We can wait until you are more used to this position.” His voice is rough velvet, and I feel a flash of pride that I can make him sound like that.

Wiggling just a bit, I feel my muscles give a tiny bit and just like that his crown pops inside of me. Hello, fence post, I am never going to be able to close my sphincter again. “Oh god . . . how can it hurt and feel good at the same time?”

A rough tongue washes the back of my neck and I shiver while he slips a little further inside of me. “There is a fine line between pain and pleasure, love and hate. In another universe, we are enemies. Here we can be lovers.”

Slowly, inch by inch he’s sinking inside of me. Muscles unused to such bulk are twinging all over. . . and yet . . . there’s a burning need for more that makes me ache. Then I feel his legs meet the back of mine and realize I’ve got him all. Damn it, I’m panting like a woman in labor. Except I’m taking something in instead of trying to push it out.

“Thank you, O’Neill, for letting me be your First.” His hips shimmy just a little and I feel that spark from my prostate that feels so good.

“My first and only, Teal’c,” I venture a little flex of my inner muscles and hear him growl under his breath before he moves a little more.

I’ve only felt this from the other side. Being inside of someone is always such a great feeling that I never wondered what it would feel like from the other point of view. I tried to be a considerate lover and make sure Sarah climaxed before I did but I had no idea the person being taken could also feel so powerful. The little noises Teal’c is making gives me such a feeling of pride.

*I* am the one giving him this pleasure. *I* am the one he’s chosen to love.

There’s more liquid inside of me and it feels like a hot enema but it also seems to loosen me enough there’s no more pain. Just wave after wave of pleasure. My cock is tired but it feels like something deep within me is going to climax when Teal’c does. There’s a spiral of tension torquing tighter and tighter inside of me. 

His hands are stroking my front, stopping now and then to gently pinch my nipples. His lips are nibbling along my hairline while his tongue tastes me like I’m his favorite flavor of ice cream. My stomach is quivering, my toes are curling and my hands are holding onto his forearms to keep his arms around me. His cock spears me deep, and I feel a gush of heated seed flood me.

A slight sting at the base of my spine and I uncoil completely, inside and out. Falling into darkness, I smile. The headache is gone.

********* Teal’c ********* 

I have never felt this feeling of . . . completeness before. Cradling O’Neill in my arms, I rest inside of him and wish never to leave. His body is pliable in my hands, and I see he’s lost consciousness again. My pride in my ability to make him happy is a physical thing I can taste and hear unlike the quiet subservience I practiced with Apophis. The echo of our mingled shouts still ring in the still air. His skin calls to me, and I reverently stroke the satin smoothness interrupted by old scars.

His groin area has wiry hairs of cinnamon brown interspersed with gray and my fingers delight in the way it curls around them. He has so many different textures on his body, I wonder if he finds my hairlessness odd. I shall ask when he returns to me. My shaft is finally finished planting my seed deep within my mate and I think I should remove it before he awakes.

There will be some pain in the coming out as there was in the going in. Slowly, I inch my way from his tight channel and into the cool air. Small trickles come with it and I watch to see there is no blood. There often is when the Joining first occurs but I am blessed to find no red among the discharge. The small hole spasms several times and I slide down so I can soothe it with my tongue. 

My symbiont demands a closer look and I use my hand as a bridge so he can taste our commingled juices. He rubs his head over the hole and I watch the redness disappear. The baby Gou’ald has healing properties for both his host and his host’s mate. Satisfied, he returns to my pouch at almost the same moment O’Neill moves.

“Teal’c,” he slurs my name and I help him onto his back, where he sprawls like a human with no bones. His eyes are drowsy and relaxed. “Love you, big guy.”

“I love you also, O’Neill. Is there any pain?” I must be sure before we sleep.

“Nah-h-h-h, just kind of sore,” his hand comes up to touch me. “I miss him already. When can you come back inside?”

“When the soreness goes away,” I cradle him to my chest and stroke his back. “We will bathe in the warm waters tonight after evening meal. Then you shall come inside of me and gift me with your seed.”

“’Kay,” he was already mostly asleep, his face relaxed and younger.

I smiled and entered a meditative state. I was looking forward to it.

******************************


	2. Chapter 2

********* Samantha Carter ********* 

Daniel and I are cuddling on a blanket under something that looks vaguely palm-like. I’m satiated and limp from repeated orgasms. Daniel is the king of multiple climaxes. I swear the man knows exactly where a woman’s body needs to be touched. I’ve had inventive lovers and fairly insatiable lovers but none of them come even close to Daniel.

“I wonder if they’re all right?”

Raising my head from my comfortable pillow on his shoulder, I ask, “Who?”

“Teal’c and Jack.” There’s a vaguely worried look on his face, and I don’t understand.

“Why would they not be all right?”

Now he looks vaguely guilty. “Um, I might have . . . uh . . . I might have given Teal’c some advice on seducing Jack.”

Whoa, the pictures flashing through my mind are x-rated. Chocolate creamy skin against satin white, strong arms and legs, really big – I shake my mind free of extremely graphic pictures. “Daniel Jackson, why in the world would you do that?”

He shrugs helplessly and clears his throat again. “He asked?”

“Teal’c asked?” Casting my mind back over the last three years, I wonder out loud. “I never got the impression the Colonel swung both ways. I can definitely picture the Jaffa being bisexual.”

“That’s a very lascivious look, Sam.” Now he’s pouting.

“You’re going to tell me that you’re not thinking about Teal’c picking the Colonel up in those big strong arms and carrying him back to the huts to have his wicked way with him?” I slide a hand down to his groin and sure enough, Little Dan is perking right up. “Jack will be all blustery while Teal’c calmly undresses him before sliding him into bed. The Colonel is a strong man but he can’t match all . . . those . . . massive . . . muscles.”

Oh yeah, somebody is waking up. I’m still dripping from our last session so I slither on top of him and guide him home. Nothing feels this good. My eyes are slitted with the pleasure and I smile down at Danny. “If it feels even half as good as this, I hope they’re doing the wild thing right this moment.”

********* Teal’c ********* 

My nap was most refreshing and I gaze down at O’Neill’s still sleeping face. One finger delicately traces all the features I can finally allow myself to touch. So many differences between us but the similarities are there as well. Two eyes, one nose, a pair of lips that beg to be kissed over and over.

“You’re watching me.” His voice is husky but his eyes don’t open. “You’ve done that before.”

“Yes, I looked often but never touched. I did not know if it would be welcome.” I continue running my finger over his jaw before moving lightly down the strong throat.

Those beautiful eyes open and gaze up into mine with a look of such joy, I am humbled. “Always welcome, Teal’c, your touch will always be welcome.”

I kiss him tenderly and gather him closer so we are almost as one. His tongue slides along side of mine in a mock battle for dominance. But those games are not for us, and I suck it into my mouth so I can lazily caress him. My hands slide to his lower cheeks and the treasure trove waiting between them. I ache to be inside of him again but he will be sore and I will not hurt him.

But he slides his leg over my hip, exposing himself to my touch and his little sigh moves my fingers gently over the tender flesh. He pulls back a little and begins to scatter kisses over my face.

“It doesn’t hurt, Teal’c. Maybe a little ache deep inside but not enough to matter.” His eyes are smiling so he speaks true.

“Every ache matters, my One. We shall go swimming now the sun is setting and your skin will be protected. The warm waters will complete the healing.” My hands pet the skin all the way up his spine. “Is the headache gone also?”

He blinks like a nocturnal bird in daylight. “How did you know I had a headache?”

I smooth a finger between his eyes. “A small wrinkle appears here when you get one. I was not allowed to help relax you out of it before.”

His smile lights the hut. “You have my permission to heal all my headaches from now on, Teal’c.”

“This is good, O’Neill. When too much paperwork interferes, I shall soothe it away over your desk.” I tease him, wondering if it will be allowed.

But his eyes light up again. “Oh yeah, I can see it now. Me face down on the desk, my pants around my ankles while you pump inside of me until your special super-dooper healing liquid goes so deep inside me, it reaches my head.”

I can also picture this and my shaft springs to life while my symbiont trills in excitement. This time O’Neill hears it, too but instead of frowning, he laughs out loud and pats the pouch. “Calm down, Junior, you’re too young to be thinking about doing the wild thing.”

I think I will not yet tell him that what I feel so does my Gou’ald. “We should swim now so we will be refreshed for the evening meal. I can smell the stew Samantha Carter fixed, from the dining hut.” I see the moment he realizes he must now face his fellow team members. “Daniel Jackson told me he would explain our new relationship to her.”

“Oh boy, that’s going to be an interesting conversation.” He disentangles himself from me and sits up with a wince he can not hide. 

My hand goes to his back to rub away the sudden tension. “They do not wish us harm, O’Neill. They are our friends, and they will be happy for us.”

His gaze is melancholy. “I’ve never been much of a Pollyanna, Teal’c. But I’ll try to hope for the best.” His eyes clear and his smile comes back. “Let’s go get our swim, although this time, you’re going to wear a pair of shorts when you come out. I don’t want Danny getting jealous of Big T, here.”

His hand wraps around my shaft and I chuckle. “Do all humans insist on short names for people and things?”

“This is no ‘thing’, Teal’c, he practically has his own zip code.” O’Neill is teasing me but I’m not sure what a ‘zip code’ is.

“Very well, we shall both wear shorts for the walk down to the beach and back. I prefer seeing you naked though.” I slip from the bed and help him stand. That tenses different muscles and will likely hurt after our bed sport.

“Ow!” He rubs his back and I join him with both hands. “Okay, didn’t expect that. For something that feels so empty, I sure do have a lot of muscles complaining.” After a few moments of rubbing, he straightens up and smiles at me. “I’m fine, Teal’c, and I prefer you naked, too. But I also don’t share with others what belongs only to me.”

“I too, O’Neill, do not share.”

********* Jack ********* 

I can’t explain how warm and safe that statement makes me feel. I am probably smiling like an idiot but I guess I’ve just been waiting for someone to claim me as theirs so I could claim them back. After half a lifetime of waiting, I’m finally experiencing love again. And that feels pretty damn good. “Well, now that’s settled, let’s get to the beach. I’ve got a little energy back after my nap and I’m ready to play.”

His eyes go from banked embers to small flames while I watch. “I have noticed this affinity for water most humans have. The Jaffa also prefer a world with oceans both hot and cold.”

I drag on a pair of shorts but leave my boots off, got to take a chance now and then. “There’s no ocean out there you couldn’t bring to a boil just by walking into it.”

He chuckles again and I think I’m addicted to the sound. “I shall endeavor to keep you warm should it prove too cold, O’Neill. Come to my hut so I can also dress since you insist upon clothing.”

Oh yeah, I follow him next door. I’ve never been as warm in my life as I was in his arms. Grabbing his duffel bag, I carry it back into my hut and let it drop next to mine. I am not sleeping alone this vacation, not now I’ve tasted him. He smiles and takes my hand to walk to the beach. That is just so sappy but I’m not calling him on it. I figure I’m way overdue for a little sappiness.

I catch sight of Sam and Danny all curled up together under a tree and tug Teal’c in the opposite direction. The shore meanders a bit so pretty soon we’re out of sight and hopefully hearing of those two. Stopping for a minute to strip off our shorts, we both run into the surf with twin splashes. Gods, the water feels good. This is a non-salt body of water and it feels silky against my skin. It’s still warm from the sun and the currents that heat this section of coast line.

The bottom drops off pretty quickly and I begin to swim away from the shore. Five minutes of steady stroking and the metal band on my right wrist beeps a warning. The survey team set buoys at intervals so swimmers couldn’t get lost or wander too far from shore. Turning onto my back, I float peacefully. Teal’c is right by my side, having matched me stroke for stroke. When I turn my eyes towards him, he is on alert but mainly he’s just watching me.

“Love you, Teal’c,” I blurt out like a teenager then dunk myself to try and cool my blushing cheeks.

Strong hands bring me up and keep my head above water. “There is no dishonor in loving, O’Neill. I love you also.”

I’m still blushing but my stomach is also doing that little dance that says I want him again. “I’m not used to saying it, big guy. I’m not embarrassed, well, not exactly. More like disconcerted.”

“I do not know this word, my One.” His head tilts a little and I just have to reach over to caress his cheek.

“It’s kind of a cross between confused and disbelieving.” I owe him my honesty. “I gave up hoping for someone like you a very long time ago. So I have to keep reminding myself I deserve you.”

His eyes are soft and warm while one arm draws me closer. “We are both deserving, my One. Together we shall conquer your disbelief. I shall keep reminding you I am here to stay.”

And my entire body begins to tingle. “I think I need another reminder, Teal’c,” I float closer and put both my arms around his neck, interspersing words with kisses, “another . . . great . . . big reminder.”

His little growl goes straight to my cock which is dueling with his again. I’m damned if I’m going to waste that great lubricant he makes on ocean water. I need it inside of me right now. Sinking, I kick away from him and back to shore. He’s right with me every stroke of the way.

********* Teal’c ********* 

I can catch him but racing is a form of playing too, and I wish for him to do more of this. So, I keep pace until we are close enough to shore for me to put my feet down. With a long arm, I sweep him up against me and seek those lips that open to me so sweetly. With a moan, he wraps his legs around my waist and holds on tight. I plunder his hot mouth while one hand rubs my shaft against his entrance.

My body makes the soothing liquid more quickly this time and with a little squeeze; I manage to squirt some up inside of him. He groans and arches against me, the small muscle already relaxing. I take a chance and slide two fingers in to begin stretching him. He flexes around me while babbling nonsense words interspersed with my name.

Carrying him until we are half in the water and half out, I unwrap his legs while he fights to get closer to me. “My One, I can not give you what you want like this. Not yet . . . hush . . . little one, let me position you so there is no pain. Please, my One, don’t let me hurt you.”

He calms a little and finds his footing. His shaft is hard and angry red so I slide down to my knees and engulf his whole length in my mouth. His shout echoes in the small cove and his hands go to my head. My hands hold his hips still while I slide him in and out of my throat. His taste is like treasured macha from my home world and I hum around him to bring more of it onto my tongue.

Then he is releasing into my mouth and his fingers clutch my ears until there is almost pain. But the look on his face is worth any momentary sting. His skin has smoothed out until only joy is left. I wish to always bring that look to him. I gently let his spent shaft fall from my lips and he tugs me to my feet so he can kiss me. Sharing his taste with him, I lead him a little higher onto the shore, the water foaming around our knees.

“Right here, Teal’c, right now,” he murmurs, guiding my hand to his crease while his fingers wrap around my pulsing shaft. “I need this inside of me again. It’s the only thing that can reach that ache you left deep within me.”

“My One,” I turn him from me and he understands, going to his hands and knees at my feet. Such a sight tests my patience but once I follow him down and put the crown of my shaft to his hole, I produce more fluid and open him again with two fingers. It spasms open at once and I fold in a third finger while his whole back ripples. 

I am leaking copiously now and the moment I press my crown against him, he pushes back. We both groan, I think. The way is easier this time and I slide in without hesitation until I am flush against his cheeks. His moan comes from his heart and he flexes around me with little muscle twinges. He is a quick learner and I reward him with slow slides in and out until his back is continuously rippling with our rhythm.

“Teal’c!” His cry brings my release again.

I pulse out seed into his depths for long moments. My whole body feels energized while darkness falls on this world. Sliding my arms further down to his chest, I gently bring him up so he doesn’t fall face first into the sand. His hands cover mine, holding them to his stomach while his head falls back onto my shoulder.

“You feel so good, Teal’c.” His lips graze the soft skin under my jaw. “I think I was made just for your cock. I may have to give up the Stargate so you can keep me naked in your bed, ready at a moments notice to love you.”

“That is a very provocative picture, my One.” I stroke his stomach. “I believe the phrase is ‘barefoot and pregnant’ on your world.”

He snorts, rippling around me again while I pulse out a tiny bit more seed. “We’re both men, Teal’c. That would be kind of difficult.”

I start to speak but his stomach growls and he laughs, beginning to gingerly pull away. I am careful not to hurt him when I pull out but still he groans and flexes all his muscles. Bending, I kiss his entrance in thanks for the great pleasure it has brought me and even in the twilight I see his blush.

“Every part of you tastes good, my One.” I assure him before standing and helping him up. I could carry him if need be but he is independent and I will not make him feel less than he is.

********* Jack ********* 

We put on our shorts and start the walk back to my, no . . . our hut. I’m both looking forward to seeing the other two and dreading it. I’ve been so cold and hard for so long, I’m not sure how they’ll react to a softer me. And there is no way I can go back to being the hard-ass Air Force Colonel. Flexing my buttocks, I savor the ache left behind by Teal’c. Not just no way but never. I wasn’t kidding when I said I was ready, willing, and able to assume the position.

It feels like a missing part of me has been returned. I am going to savor every moment we have together. We are all getting a little burned out on SG-1. It’s why I didn’t fight the enforced vacation. The last few months felt like a permanent headache. It didn’t help that both Danny and I had gotten wounded on our last mission. That time the headache came from a concussion and Danny had added another scar to his left arm.

The smell of stew hits us on the perimeter of our vacation lodgings. Teal’c and I walk a little faster and join the low murmur of voices coming from the dining hut. Danny and Sam look up with welcoming smiles and I see relief on our archaeologist’s face. God bless him. I owe him my thanks but I think I’ll wait until we’ve got some privacy. Sam’s face has a speculative look that tells me she’s okay with it, too.

Dinner is good and we stuff ourselves. My compliment to Sam leaves her almost shocked but also tickled and she curtseys to me with a ‘thank you kindly, sir’. Smart aleck, still it feels like an almost sisterly reaction, and I feel good about it. Danny is watching and cataloging all of our behavior but that’s just what he does. Teal’c is much looser than I’ve ever seen him so I know he’s confounding the pair of them.

He actually tells a joke about some ruins on our last planet and surprises Danny into laughter. I’m just sitting here, grinning like a fool and feeling this urge to lean against the warm alien beside me. How in the world did I ever do without his touch? I’m addicted after only a day. Not to mention I have this urge for some dessert and I think I’d like to see if his lubricating cock tastes as good as it feels.

Something in my gaze must warn him because he gathers our dishes and volunteers us for KP duty since Sam cooked. It’s not that hard since our ultrasonic unit is fully charged from this world’s sun and it cleans everything once we put them inside. Still, it gets us moving to our respective beds, and I’m so glad we picked huts as far apart as we could be.

It feels like I’ve been cold for decades but the heat source walking beside me is warming all of me from the inside out. I can feel myself thawing and there’s an ache but it’s a good ache. Squeezing my ass muscles, I savor the memory of how good he felt. Maybe I’ll forego tasting him and get him to come back inside of me. Who knew I’d enjoy being on the bottom so much?

Is it because Teal’c is an alien? I don’t think so but I never felt this way for any of the men I’ve worked with. Did I just not notice or even consider another man? Or was I just that much of a control freak, afraid to give it away to someone as strong as I thought I was?

But there’s nothing wrong with giving away control to someone who loves you. And I truly believe Teal’c when he says he loves me. I am the luckiest son of a bitch in a thousand worlds. We’re inside our hut and it smells like us or rather, it smells like our lovemaking from this afternoon. It’s a good smell and I find myself grinning like a loon at the thought of doing it all over again.

Teal’c lights the candles on the bed stand and the flickering light gleams on his chocolate skin. He always looks like he just oiled himself, and I wonder if that’s part of why he tastes so good.

“Teal’c, is your sweat at all like your cock’s liquid?” Did that come out all right?

He smiles at me, white teeth gleaming. “It is similar. The Jaffa are bred to war and having a slippery body when fighting hand-to-hand can be an asset.”

Oh god, that brings up an entirely too graphic picture of naked grappling. I hastily slide off my shorts and leer at him. “Great, you wanna practice a little one-on-one wrestling in bed?”

********* Teal’c ********* 

I must smile at his playful look but the sight of him naked causes my body to react. Removing my shorts, I follow him into our bed. It has been too long since last I touched him. My hands pull him close and I feel my symbiont awaken. He has imprinted himself on O’Neill now we are mated. Sliding my fingers over the skin of his back, I pull him even closer so I may breathe in his scent.

We begin to smell like each other and that pleases me. On a crowded world, I will be able to find my mate by scent alone. But his taste fills my senses as I press my tongue against the pulse in his throat. It is beating very fast and I drink it down while he moans sweetly in my ear. His fingers are sliding over my arms and when he starts to laugh, I pull back to see why.

“You really do exude something slippery all over.” His smile is delighted and I smile in return. “Teal’c, would you let me do something right now?”

“Yes, my One, you may do anything you wish with me.” I trust him and am rewarded with a kiss full of love.

But when he pulls away this time, he pushes me onto my back. “Stay still, if you can, Teal’c. I want to explore you with my hands . . . and lips . . . and tongue.”

Every word is murmured into a different part of my chest. I shiver instinctively but this is my One and it is only right he knows me so intimately. “I am yours, O’Neill. Explore me to your heart’s content.”

More kisses but then he straddles me so our shafts duel for space between us. His hands explore every contour of my upper body. He tastes my nipples with soft lips until I guide him to bite gently. This pleases me and my shaft swells larger. When he notices this, he grins at me and does it again, alternating nipples until they secrete a tiny bit of fluid. His eyes widen then he licks it away.

“Delicious, Teal’c, will it do that every time I bite them?” His fingers are tracing my ribs now.

“When stimulated sufficiently, they will give out a nutritive liquid. It can be used to sustain life for a short period of time.”

“Wow, that’s kinky.” He stops and sits back on my thighs, his fingers barely skimming the surface of the ‘x’ shaped opening. “Is Junior awake?”

“He is.” I wonder what he is thinking. “He is curious about you, my One. He knows we are mated.”

His cheeks flush but his smile is radiant. “Oh, we’re mated all right. And we’re going to mate a lot. Will that bother him? What if he doesn’t like me?”

My hands gather his and place them directly on the opening. “He will love you because I love you. He is aware of what we’re doing. While you were passed out before, he tasted your emissions, and he liked them.”

He blinks at me in what I think is shock but just then, my symbiont comes a little way out of his pouch and rubs his head over our joined fingers. His soft trill is welcoming and O’Neill starts then begins to smile. It is a very small smile but there just the same. One of his fingers rubs between the nascent horns of the baby Gou’ald and Junior trills again.

“He’s kind of soft.” His gaze is focused on the infant. “He does like me.” Then his eyes come back to me. “Tasted my emissions? He drank my come?”

“Yes, he likes the taste as much as I do. This is not taboo on Earth, is it?” I wonder if I’ve overstepped some boundary.

His flush is deeper but he’s still gently stroking my symbiont. “It’s not much of a problem on Earth because there aren’t any other baby Gou’ald there. It won’t make him sick, will it?”

Shaking my head, I let my hands slide up his arms to bring him down to my lips. “He and I consider it nutritive liquid.”

His snort of laughter is lost in our kiss and his little chuckles continue until we separate for air. “Nutritious and delicious, as some of our advertising commercials would say. But that reminds me, I haven’t tasted you yet.”

If possible, I grow still harder. The thought of his mouth around the crown of my shaft has me leaking. He slides back a little further so he can get both hands around my shaft.

“Damn, you are beautiful here. Your balls must be internal. Cool.” His fingers slide up and down, the slight friction pleasing to me. “You look like a Morel mushroom but you’re harder than steel.” He leans down and ventures a hesitant lick to the bead of fluid welling from my slit.

His tongue is rough and I watch his face to see what he thinks of the taste. He looks pleasantly surprised. “You taste sweet, Teal’c . . . like . . . like a soda apple. It’s been years since I had one of those. My grandfather had a small orchard with one tree that bore them. They only produced a few apples every other year but they were my very favorite.”

I like it when he shares his memories. Our worlds are very different. “So, it is a good taste?”

His eyes smile along with the rest of him. “A very good taste and one I plan on indulging in often. Now, lie back and let me see how much of this monster I can get in my mouth.”

I did not expect him to succeed. Since he has never been with a male before, he can not know the secrets of relaxing the throat, flattening the tongue and hollowing his cheeks. But it does not matter. His hands and lips are more than enough to stimulate me. Just knowing he wants to take me into his body this way makes me very happy.

He nibbles, licks, rubs, strokes and twists his hands around my shaft. My symbiont is trilling nonstop when I touch O’Neill’s cheek in warning. But he just winks and swallows around me until I release into his keeping. There is not as much as before but I will need true sleep before I can produce more seed. He swallows as much as he can while watching Junior devour what has fallen on my stomach.

“He really does like come.” He shakes his head and grins up at me.

But he is hard and aching so I draw him up to my side so I can drink from him again. He comes quickly when I wrap my tongue around him and suck hard. There is not as much delicious macha, but I am sure true sleep will replenish us both. I turn off the light and gather him into my arms. “Good night, my One. Tomorrow we shall explore further.”

“Night, Teal’c. I love you.” He snuggles into my side, his head on my shoulder. “You taste good, big guy. Gonna taste more.”

“I love you too, O’Neill.” My hands stroke his back soothingly. “Sleep now and we will taste each other again in the morning.”

My only answer is a hum and I smile into the darkness while my symbiont trills faintly from his pouch. We are all three complete this night. Tomorrow will be sweet indeed.

**********************


	3. Chapter 3

********* Jack ********* 

I wake up wondering why I feel so good. I’d gone to sleep in one position and awakened in another. Strong arms wrap around me; one large hand is stroking my stomach while the other holds my morning stiffie; but the major difference is the cock sliding through my legs to bump my balls.

“Good morning, O’Neill.” Teal’c licks the back of my neck and I know my face is looking absolutely silly but it’s been a long time since I woke up happy.

“It’s a great morning so far but I can think of a couple things that would make it even better.” I turn a little so I can see his face. “A good morning kiss would be nice.”

His lips promptly take mine tenderly and I give a happy sigh. Teal’c tastes wonderful and I suck on his tongue again while shivering at how good it all feels. All my senses are tingling, and I feel alive in new and exciting ways I never expected. All of me is wrapped up in him, and I want to hold on and never let go.

And I’m feeling a little slutty. “So, Teal’c, I bet I know where Big T would like to be.”

He chuckles and pulls back a little so he can get that slippery stuff to my hole. He switches hands so his right holds my cock and his left can start opening me up. I can’t begin to say why I like that almost-pain of getting ready for him, but I do. Maybe it’s because I don’t have to do a damn thing but lie here and let it happen. I really am tired of being in charge.

I’m still pretty relaxed so he starts with two fingers and the first touch to my sweet spot has my cock leaking salty tears. I push back to get him deeper. “More, Teal’c, I need more. God, if I’d only known how good this feels, I’d have tripped you into bed long ago. We’ve wasted a lot of time.”

His kiss to the hot spot behind my ear coincides with a third finger sliding in. “We wasted nothing, my One. Both of us needed time to come to terms with our former losses. We are the sum of all our experiences.” He twists his fingers and I almost levitate off the bed. “We can now trust our feelings and each other.”

I pant a little to get more oxygen into starving lungs. “Oh god, there – right there. I know what you mean, Teal’c. Trust comes hard to me but even from the first, I did trust you to watch my back.”

“We are shield brothers, my One.” He removes his fingers and I feel the blunt pressure begin.

I swear to god, he grows right before he comes inside of me. I concentrate on relaxing that muscle to let him in and the familiar pain comes when he pops the crown into my channel. The fluid has done its job though, so he keeps sliding right in.

“Yes-s-s-s, that’s good . . . so good.” I relax and revel in the feeling of possession. I’ve got him all. “I never knew how much I’d like this, Teal’c. Big T feels like he’s going to come out of my stomach.”

He chuckles and strokes my cock with his strong fingers. “According to the books Daniel Jackson gave me, that is not possible, O’Neill. But you feel very good around me, and I thank you for this gift.”

“I will always take you in, Teal’c. Just consider me your new home.” The slow slides in and out are driving me insane. My hips don’t have a lot of movement possible but I do my best to help him impale me harder and deeper.

********* Teal’c ********* 

I connect to my mate in more ways than one. Our bodies join in this most intimate fashion while our hearts beat together. My symbiont is trilling softly in his own pleasure. Today, I must make sure O’Neill realizes all the ramifications of our lovemaking. I was not sure human and Jaffa could combine but his scent this morning tells me the process is well underway.

When my symbiont accepted and marked him during our first joining, his bite triggered certain changes. I must be sure he understands what our continued lovemaking might mean. But at this moment, all I can think of is his heat and the way his channel welcomes me in. His hips move in counterpoint to my thrusts and the little sounds he is making heat my blood to boiling.

“Harder, Teal’c, I want to feel you in my throat.” The need in his voice satisfies my desire for his complete surrender.

“My One,” I bite down gently on the delectable shoulder nearest my mouth, thrust as deep as I can, and feel his balls tighten before his shaft releases into my hand. That is all I need to complete my own coming.

“Ah-h-h-h, that feels so good.” He is boneless in my arms but I can see his hands slowly caressing his stomach. His voice is low and a bit hoarse from his moaning. “All that hot seed flowing through me feels . . . so . . . so right.”

“It is right, my One.” I kiss the small mark left from my need. “I am sorry, O’Neill. I have bitten you.”

Turning his head, his smile is bright. “No problem, big guy. I like making you lose control. God knows, you’ve made me lose all control myself. Feels good – hell, everything we do feels good.”

“You must tell me if something does not feel right, my One.” I kiss those smiling lips and he opens as naturally as if we’d done this for years. He welcomes me everywhere and I am blessed by his acceptance. Lazy kisses last until his body pushes my shaft from him. That’s when he turns in my arms and winds his arms around my neck so we are nose to nose. 

His look is serious. “I will tell you if something doesn’t feel good, Teal’c. But so far, not even the pain of our first joining matters. In fact, I kind of enjoy that pain-to- pleasure thing that happens when you first come inside of me. I’m not sure exactly why but I really like leaving all the work up to you.”

“It is not work, O’Neill, but pleasure extreme to prepare you for our joining. I have never felt with another what I feel when we are connected.” We are interrupted by my symbiont coming out to scour the last of my mate’s seed from his stomach and my hand.

O’Neill starts to laugh and that wonderful sound is one I wish to hear again and again. “Junior really likes me.”

“We both like the way you taste, my One.” I rub my cheek against his, and he kisses the tip of my nose.

“I like it when you call me your One. No one ever gave me a nickname like that before.” His eyes are shy and I reward him with another kiss.

When we finally part, I tell him truth. “You are my One and there shall be no other in my life or heart until I die.”

That little wrinkle comes back. “When Junior grows up, he’ll leave you, and you’ll die. We have to come up with something to keep that from happening. I won’t lose you the way I’ve lost everyone else I love.”

********* Jack ********* 

His eyes are so warm and his smile so tender, it makes me feel better. “My One, we shall deal with that when it is time. There is much to happen before we must worry about my death or yours.”

”I’ve never been real fond of that ‘live for today, for tomorrow we die’ shit.” I shiver. “There has to be something we can do, Teal’c.”

His smile grows solemn. “We may have already done it, my One. Jaffa and Human have never mated the way we are now. Do you remember yesterday when first we joined?”

“Of course, I do.” I bite my lip and think back with worry. Did I miss something?

“Hush, my One, there is nothing to fear.” His lips cover mine until I relax again. Damn, he’s good at that. “You may have felt a slight sting when we both released.”

Thinking back, I pinpoint the moment and nod. “Yeah, it was at the base of my spine.”

“My symbiont marked you as mine.” His hands never stop moving over my back and each time I tense, he smoothes it away. “His saliva entered your skin and has been working to change you enough so all Jaffa who meet you will know you are Chosen. Your scent is different this morning.” He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, a wide smile creasing his face. “We begin to smell alike.”

“I like your scent, Teal’c. Just that little sting was enough to change me?” I put a hand back to touch the spot and find strong fingers already massaging the area.

“The Gou’ald are powerful, my One, even the infants. Scent is just one change. There will be more.” His lips are smoothing soft kisses over my face and I relax further. “Your eyesight will grow sharper and your sense of smell will increase to include many more layers of odor. Your hearing is already good but it will get better as your body adjusts.”

“Wow, that’s some kind of gift, Teal’c. Why did he decide to bite me then?” I’ve been close to him before, and nothing like this had ever happened.

“What I feel, he feels, O’Neill. When I chose you for my One and claimed you, he sealed our Joining with his approval.”

What? “So, we’re what? Joined, married, claimed,” I look at him quizzically with a raised eyebrow.

His smile is bright. “We are all of the above. You have still to claim my body, and when that happens, the circle will be complete.”

“O-o-o-okay, I need to claim you?” My cock really likes that idea even after the killer climax I just had. “I’ve got to admit I’d like to. But we need to get up and have some breakfast so I can stoke up a little energy.”

“I too, O’Neill. There are good smells coming from the dining hut again,” he tells me, and I take a good sniff.

“Danny’s making his famous blueberry pancakes.” I realize what I just did. The dining hut is a good 100 yards from our hut. “Hey, I think my nose is kicking in.”

“Little by little you will notice the differences.” He rolls away from me and stands with a stretch that makes my mouth go dry.

Taut buttocks and long legs make my cock twitch. Giving him a short stroke, I roll out of my side of the bed and do a little stretching of my own. I should be stiff and sore after my workout this morning but I just feel good. Maybe that is another side effect from Junior’s bite. Turning back to Teal’c, I catch the tail end of a lusty look of appreciation and I promptly blush.

“You are beautiful in the morning sunlight, my One.” He tells me and I blush again.

“I think maybe your eyesight is a little off today, Teal’c. You’re the beautiful one.” And he sure is. He gleams in the light through the filtered windows. “I’m looking forward to seeing you in daylight again. We should go back to the cove from last night, take a few supplies with us, and do some sunbathing.”

“I agree, O’Neill. I wish you to claim me there in the water as I did you last night.” His eyes are gleaming now and I feel hot desire flush through me.

“Oh yeah, big guy, that sounds just right.” I find a pair of shorts and drag them on, forcing my cock back down so it isn’t too noticeable. But that brings something else to mind. “Teal’c, do you make . . . um . . . that lubricating fluid inside as well as out?”

He nods. “Yes, O’Neill, the way will be prepared for you when you claim me.”

Cold thoughts, icebergs in January, General Hammond naked, and wearing a thong – okay, that does it. I clear my throat and manage to stammer. “Gg-good, Teal’c, which means we don’t need to take oil with us.”

********* Samantha *********

I have never seen the Colonel this relaxed. His gait is loose, his smile just short of beaming, and he can’t seem to stop touching Teal’c. The big alien is just as bad with the casual touches and a smile that doesn’t stop. They look good together and . . . I guess joyful is the best word to describe the happiness they’re radiating.

Since I know happy personally these days, I’m glad for them. And if I’m a wee bit curious about what they’d look like making love, well, that’s the way a woman’s libido bounces. Maybe I’ll be able to indulge my voyeuristic side on this vacation. The way we’re all going at it, I’m pretty sure we’re going to be losing a few inhibitions around each other.

And that could be really fun. The guys are all wearing shorts and nothing else while I’m sporting a bikini with a little sarong tied at my waist. Danny likes having something to rip off me and just the thought makes my itsy-bitsy bikini thong get damp. Looking down, I notice my nipples are peaking and a hand on my thigh tells me Danny has noticed, too.

Looking back up, I see Jack’s nostrils flare wide and wonder what he’s smelling. He does love Danny’s pancakes though so I decide it must be the syrup we brought with us. “Hey guys, it’s your turn to cook dinner tonight. I thought we’d just take sandwiches with us to the beach.”

“We’ll grill steaks tonight, and some of those vegetables you like,” the Colonel offers, and Teal’c nods in agreement.

“Sounds good, guys,” Danny is stroking my leg now, and I’m turning on like a cheap firecracker. He knows what that does to me.

Teal’c has this little smile on his face and I realize his left hand is below table height. Who knew the big guy had such a randy streak? I’d love to see him groping his lover but maybe later. Right now, they’re eating heartily while I nibble on a pear that Daniel peeled for me. Beats the hell out of grapes and he loves licking the juice from my skin. There’s a whole ‘nother conversation going on under our little talk about the weather and whether or not we should go exploring.

Maybe later, I decide with a look around the table. The only thing on our minds is making love. Places and positions are only two of the variations available to us and I’m pretty sure we’re all going to be experimenting. Maybe later I can talk Danny into us finding the cove where they swam last night and doing a little reconnaissance in the interests of – research.

Yep, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

********* Teal’c ********* 

Breakfast is an interesting meal. Our friends tease O’Neill with smiles and subtle comments that make him blush. But they mean no harm and this form of verbal playing is good for him. Once we return to duty, such play will be curtailed and I wish him to enjoy our time here in every fashion.

I stroke his leg beneath the table and feel his shaft begin to stir. Samantha Carter’s scent is strong and I think Daniel Jackson is stroking her also. I wonder if blueberry pancakes have strong stimulants for lust in them. I will ask O’Neill later. For now, I finish my meal and think about making love in the light of day, out in the open. I think it will be even better than what we’ve already experienced.

We rise from the table and clean it off while Samantha Carter gets more supplies from the cold box that keeps our food from spoiling. O’Neill and she make sandwiches while I take the dishes from the night before out of the sonic washer, putting them away in the overhead cupboards, and placing our dirty dishes inside. I am suddenly impatient to be gone to our cove.

“You ready, big guy?” O’Neill’s hand strokes down my back and I shiver in arousal.

“Yes.” My gaze is heated and he flushes down to his shorts. He has a string bag filled with food and water for us.

“Have a good day, guys,” Daniel Jackson says over his shoulder as they leave with their own bag.

I step forward and kiss my mate with all the tenderness I can muster. His little moan fires my blood and I draw him closer yet. The bag bumps my back and I realize we should leave before I lay him right down on the dining table. Besides, I wish to feel him taking me with all his passion. Breaking the kiss, I take a deep breath.

“The beach, my One, you have promised to complete our circle,” I remind him, and his eyes clear enough to understand what I’m saying.

“Oh yeah, I can do that.” Tugging on my hand, he heads for the door and the second path leading away from the direction the others took. “You’ll have to tell me if I’m doing it right, Teal’c. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You shall not hurt me, O’Neill. I desire you too much.” Our pace is rapid and with each step, I grow more excited. I can feel my inner channel begin to emit the oils needed to smooth his way.

His nostrils flare, and he looks up at me with dawning knowledge. “The scent this morning was Sam getting excited. You’re starting to smell like that, too. You really are ready for me.”

My smile is fond. “I have waited for you for a long time. I crave your body the way yours craves mine. There will be many new scents for you to learn.”

”I smell like that, too?” His eyes are sparkling and his smile is one I hope to see for the rest of my life. “Cool, I like it.”

The beach suddenly appears, and he sets the bag down before stripping off his shorts to free his hard shaft. I gladly remove my shorts since they bind me too tightly when my shaft swells. 

“Last one in has to kiss me.” He grins and races into the water.

I laugh at his carefree antics and join him at once. Slippery O’Neill is so much fun to play with. The water is still cool in the early morning sunlight and I hug him close to keep him warm.

********* Jack ********* 

Slippery Teal’c has to be my absolute favorite bath toy. I feel weightless and breathless while he drives me silly with soft kisses – not a long trip, of course. Our cocks are dueling between us and that slippery oil is getting me even harder. Backing us up, Teal’c falls to his knees and brings me down with him.

“Here, my One, take me here and claim me for your own.” He kisses me gently and then moves to all fours.

“Wow.” My cock is so hard I could hammer nails with it. “You’re so beautiful in the sunlight.” Moving between his legs, I smooth my hands down his strong back to the taut cheeks that hide his entrance. When I pry the cheeks apart, his back ripples and I remember how it felt when he did it to me. My fingers slip into his crease and brush lightly over the puckered muscle.

“Yes-s-s there, O’Neill, come inside of me now.” His voice drops an octave and my cock gets even harder, if that’s possible. “Two fingers, my One, open me for your shaft.”

I start with one, remembering how gentle he’d been with me, and the feeling of heat immediately travels up my whole arm. But he’s impatient and I fold in another finger, sliding them in and out. He really does feel slippery so I come out before going in with three fingers and suddenly his whole body goes rigid.

“I never asked if Jaffa have a gland, Teal’c.” Making sure I hit that same spot again, I get the sensation of slightly different texture instead of a bump.

“Not a gland but a . . . membrane of sorts.” He’s squeezing rhythmically around my fingers and it’s making me crazy. “It feels very good and I need you to come inside of me right now, O’Neill.”

Fingers out, cock in. I’m shaking, I’m so hard and ready. His entrance opens up for me instantly and I slide in until my balls hit skin. Dear god, but he feels good around me. I sigh and kiss his spine, my hands holding his hips for balance.

“Okay, big guy?” I have to ask but the way he’s pushing back against me tells me everything is going to be all right.

“Complete, my One, I feel complete for the first time in my life.” His deep voice is like a verbal caress and I shiver under it. “Move, O’Neill, remember what you have learned.”

I can do that and I start rocking in and out, finding my own rhythm until we’re moving in counterpoint. He’s got this little grunt-moan that makes my blood run hotter than the sun beating down on us. When the symbiont starts to trill, I know he’s close and I slide my right hand down to jack his cock in time to my inward thrusts. He really likes that and his channel ripples around me until I just have to come.

“Yes-s-s-s,” he clenches around me and I feel his slippery come explode out of him.

All my energy shoots out of my cock and his strong back is the only thing keeping me out of the water. We’re both panting and I can feel his contentment like it was my own. I like being joined to him but I realize something very interesting. Being inside of him is wonderful but I feel empty. It looks like I’ve finally learned my place in life.

And that’s under my lover with him inside of me. Now, how do I tell him that?

********* Teal’c ********* 

Amongst the satiated feelings from my mate, I feel a question emerge. But to answer it, I must first know what it is and that means I must move from this position so I can see him. Being taken with love is a far different feeling than performing my duty with Apophis. I must make sure he knows he is my First within this bond we’re creating.

“Steady, big guy, let me come out so we can wash off and move to the shade.” He carefully pulls his shaft from me and moves to stand, offering me a hand up.

I do not need it but it is comforting just the same to know his care. “It is too soon for your skin to have adapted to the sun. We must be careful you do not burn.”

His grin is teasing and we splash each other clean before heading to the shade palm where our lunch lies. I had carried a blanket down with us and now we spread it over the soft sand before lying down together.

“You give me much joy, my One. I have never experienced a Joining done with love and I thank you for this.” My kiss is gentle and his lips curve with a pleased smile.

“I’m glad, Teal’c. I love you and you felt incredible around me.” Playing with my nipples, his voice drops to a whisper. “Um, Teal’c . . . I like making love to you . . . but um,” his eyes came up to meet mine. “I really, really love it when you come inside of me. Is that okay?”

My kiss is hard and urgent and I feel myself harden again. His lips draw me in while his legs part automatically when I push him flat and move between them. Needy noises spill from his mouth. This need also makes him tilt his hips while his ankles cross over my back. Cradling his cheeks in my hands, I move him up further so my shaft can get to the small hole opening for me.

With a hard thrust, I breech the guarding muscle and slide in deep. His shout is lost in our kiss and I still for a moment to make sure he’s all right. We must breathe and when our lips part, he is babbling disjointedly.

“Yes, yes, Teal’c, lover, oh there, more, more.”

“Never doubt I wish to be inside of you, my One. If this is what you need, then you shall have me as often as you wish.” I plant my knees and start the long, slow slides that target his small gland.

“Yes, oh yes, morning . . . noon . . . night . . . I want you taking me.” His hands hold my shoulders while he tries to move closer. “In bed . . . on my desk . . . in the bath . . . over the arm of my couch . . . under a tree in my back yard . . . beneath a full moon on my deck. . . . upon the hood of my jeep – we’ll never run out of places for you to love me.”

His shaft is half-hard and it rubs between us, making my symbiont trill with happiness. I think I am not the only one addicted to his taste. O’Neill is panting now, his head thrown back and the muscles in his throat flexing the way his hips are. This time will be fast and I snap my hips into the ‘v’ of his legs so my seed will shoot deep inside of him. 

“Oh gods,” he shouts and squeezes his legs around my waist. He relaxes all over while his shaft dribbles a little seed for my symbiont. “That’s it, Teal’c, that’s what I crave the most. Feeling you open me up, friction me into coming and flood me with your seed. Maybe I’m addicted or something but I just seem to need your heat deep inside of me.”

“I, too, am addicted to your taste and heat, my One.” I move us to our sides so my weight does not crush him. “You have only to ask and I shall make love to you wherever we are.”

His smile is shy. “Never knew I wanted to bottom for somebody but I guess I was just waiting for you to show me what I need. I love being this connected to you. Stay in me while we rest?”

“Forever, my One, I will stay in you forever,” I vow to him and seal it with a kiss. It’s slow and languid. We suck on each other’s tongues while our hands smooth caresses over as much skin as we can reach. I am still within him when he falls asleep. Cradling him close, I slip into a meditative trance while my senses keep watch over us. Even here, in this empty world, I protect what is mine.

I hope we brought enough food for our stay. Making love brings out my appetite.

****************************


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The planet decides to take a role in their vacation.

********* Jack ********* 

Okay, I’m a slut for Teal'c. Only his distaste for slang prevents him from calling me what I am – a total, unabashed junkie for his cock. So far, we've made love on the beach and in bed but I'm starting to eye the dining room table and the big recliner in the recreation hut to see if they're sturdy enough to take our weight. The more of him I have, the more I want.

Yep, I'm a wanton hussy as my grandmother used to say. I should be on fire but there's something in the big guy's come that leaves me feeling great. You'd think all that friction we're creating when he's pounding into me would leave some kind of soreness behind but . . . nada, nothing, nil. I'm the luckiest man in the galaxy.

We're doing a little exploring away from the beach at the moment and I'm eyeing my naked lover with a gleam in my gaze that would probably warn him I'm about to pounce if he wasn't concentrating on . . . something. My hearing catches up to his and I hear the sound of falling water. Ah, naked wet Jaffa, my favorite thing of all. The trees grow denser around us and Teal'c is pushing hanging vines aside for us to squeeze through.

"Wow," my breath catches at the sight of a steaming pool about twenty feet across under a shimmering waterfall almost twice that high. "How hot is it, Teal'c?"

My lover is already trailing a hand through the water and his smile is slow but sure. "Not too warm, my One but hotter than the cove. There is something like a . . ."

I drop our supplies and join him, trailing a hand through the deep green water. "Fizzy, maybe minerals or a natural gas fissure."

Teal'c takes a deep sniff then shakes his head. "No gas but perhaps minerals. Let us eat first so we can see if it affects our hands. I will not risk it hurting you."

He's in protector mode and I smile while kissing the soft lips I love. I'll never get tired of tasting him. No kidding but I'm addicted to every inch of his skin. If I can't touch him or slip in a taste of slick flesh, I get jittery like a boozer at a teetotalers convention. 

Lunch is spread out on the soft moss-like ground cover and we feed each other bite after bite, interspersed with water flavored kisses. Oranges, celery, carrots, cheese cubes and the delicious flat bread we bake every morning. It's from Teal'c’s home planet adapted to Earth ingredients. He made up a big bowl of the mixture our second day here and it stays in the fridge until he takes some out and kneads it again before baking it each morning. Simple but so good, all you can hear is little hums of pleasure while we're eating it.

Funny, but my taste buds are changing along with the rest of me. Junior's saliva seems to still be working even though he's never bitten me again. Talk about addicted though; the little guy really likes my seed. He likes it when we're face to face while Teal'c fucks me through what ever surface I'm lying on. Like a mini-vacuum, he drinks me down to the last drop.

Saves a lot of messy cleanup and he's actually kind of cute when I don't remember he could kill my Jaffa just by maturing. I'm not worried about that exactly but every once in a while I do think about it. Janet said something awhile back about working on a drug that might take the place of a Gou'ald. Hell, maybe drinking my seed will retard his growth or something.

Strong fingers pluck at my nipples while a wet tongue washes that spot under my ear that makes me moan. "I think it is safe, O'Neill. Perhaps we should bathe away the crumbs of our meal?"

"Oh yeah, I think we should." Leaning into him, I slide my mouth over his hot cheek to catch his tasty lips. I'm suddenly hotter than that steamy water, and I can't wait to get him wet all over.

Helping each other up, we don't stop kissing until we ease into the pool. It's only about four feet deep so it comes about to our waists. Warmer than bath water, it feels good with the bubbles racing over our skins like a million little hands. Even under water, I can hear Junior trill. He must like the bubbles, too.

********** Teal’c ********* 

A wet O'Neill is a beautiful O'Neill. His hair darkens and slicks back from his forehead, while his long limbs gleam with water droplets. He heads for the waterfall almost immediately, and I follow. It's slightly cooler than the water in the pool and feels refreshing when we raise our faces into the stream. There is more of the mineral taste upon my lips, and I lick it off with a smile.

And just like that, my One's scent changes to what he calls 'take me now, take me hard'. We make love so often I no longer even have to stretch him. After seven days of our loving, he simply turns and braces himself against the rock wall behind the waterfall. Moving into position, I kiss the nape of his neck while pressing into his tight channel. His moan is lush and long while I slide deep and stop.

I will never take this privilege for granted. The water slows our normally fast pace to a languid in-and-out. His inner muscles ripple around me and I slide one hand up to play with his nipples some more. He is so sensitive there I once made him come just by suckling each one to hard aching peaks. I enjoy the stimulation but not as he does. I wonder if he was always so sensitive or if this is one of the changes from our joining.

"Gods, yes, Teal'c, harder . . . deeper . . . I need you to plant Big T so deep I won't be able to sit down." His voice is dropping into that little growl that makes me lose my control. "More . . . so good . . . yeah-h-h-h."

His shaft jumps in my fingers and his seed fills my hand while his muscles rip my own from me. Pulsing, I rest inside my love and lazily lick the sweat from his sensitive hairline. He shudders around me and I gentle my hold. 

"If I live to 150, I will never get enough of you, Teal'c." His voice is satiated, and I smile into the warm flesh of the side of his throat. "It's just a damn good thing your self-lube has healing properties or I’d be walking funny like poor Sam. We'll have to tell them about this place. It's kind of healing in its own right."

"True, my One, it is a place of peace and calm." I gently bite his ear and begin to back out. "Perhaps we should nap on the soft moss for a while."

He hums happily before turning in my arms to kiss me. Each kiss is slightly different than any other we’ve shared and I do not think this will change, no matter what age we reach. I know only it will never be long enough. An eternity in his arms would be too short.

"Nap, big guy, and then you’re going to take me again on that nice soft moss." He leads me from the water and I watch the water-drops bead on his skin like fine jewels in the muted light filtering through the trees shading this area. "This time I'll be on my back, all open and wanting."

I shiver with returned need and leave the water to stalk him to where we ate. I tackle him gently onto the green earth and begin sucking on one of his nipples.

"Oh-h-h-h, yeah-h-h-h," his hands lace around my head to keep me there. "I love it when you nurse there, Teal'c. I never knew how good it would feel." One of his legs wraps around me, while the other bends at the knee and flops to one side. "I keep feeling empty, lover, and you're the only one who can fill me up. Now's the time for some of that stamina to kick in, big guy."

I chuckle around his nipple and he moans pitifully. Changing to broad licks with my tongue, I move down to greet his rising shaft with kisses just for him.

"My stamina is just fine, O'Neill. I wish you to lie there and let me try something." I let him fall from my lips, feeling the fine tremors that shake his body. "Can you do that for me, my One? Lie back and not move?"

********* Jack ********* 

Gods, the things he asks me to do. "I'll try, Teal'c, but when you're inside of me it's harder than hard."

His smile is slow and sensuous. I'm definitely in for a hard ride. He's sitting back on his heels with his knees together, and he slowly pulls me towards him. Moving my legs over his shoulders, he positions Big T right at my hole, and I relax to welcome him in. Maybe it's the angle or maybe it's something from the water but I suddenly feel all virginal again. That monster mushroom of a crown feels almost too big.

But he slowly pushes in and I stretch-h-h while panting. My head tosses back and forth on the soft moss and I can't catch my breath. Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods, he’s too big. Splitting me in two but the pleasure of it is swamping me with heat and need. If I look down I just know I'll see his crown pressing against my stomach from the inside.

He stops moving and I flex around him gently. Yep, I've got all of him. His hands are stroking my stomach and I slide mine down to meet his. Opening my eyes, I meet his and find nothing but love in them. I haven't cried in years but I'm just so damn grateful he loves me, I feel a bit weepy.

"My One," his voice is so deep it seeps in my ears and settles against my brain’s pleasure center. "I love you."

It's been so damn long since I heard those words from someone who really means them. But Teal'c does and I'm getting better at returning them to him – like now.

"I love you, Teal'c. You're my One, too." He deserves more than my usual nickname. I'm not a very sentimental person but I have the oddest urge to call him ‘my love’ or ‘sweetheart’. But they're not quite right. Maybe when we've been together longer, I'll come up with something. For now, I'll just borrow his.

His eyes are sparkling and his smile stretches across his whole face. "We are blessed by the Ancients, my One."

My blood is sizzling and the air seems charged with more oxygen than normal. I find myself taking deep breaths while my eyes suddenly see twenty different shades of green in this hidden retreat. The moss beneath me feels soft and tickling at the same time. My hands move up to meet Teal'c's and our fingers intertwine. He's pulsing inside of me while my cock stands up and waves between us.

"By all the ancient gods who bore us, we are blessed." My words are a vow, and my voice seems to echo around this protected place. Lately one god just doesn't seem like enough for me. 'Cause I'm definitely feeling Aphrodite's fine hand in our getting together.

"My One," he's rocking gently in and out an inch or two. We have all the time in the world to take it slow, and I fall into the same meditative trance he's been teaching me.

Our hands are still joined, and my stomach ripples from side to side as if I have my own Gou'ald. Slowly, I begin to picture our future. The more I love Teal'c, the more I want to retire to a safe world where we can just live together in peace. Someplace like this planet with its moderate seasons, and abundant and diverse plant life. We've been eating some of the native fruit lately and even with my changed taste buds, they are pretty tasty.

"We could build a bigger home, O'Neill. One with room to hold our family when it grows," Teal'c is reading my mind again.

And suddenly I can see a little boy with Teal'c's glowing skin and my brown hair. "I wish we could have a child together, my love, especially if he was beautiful like you."

His smile widens and his thumbs stroke just below my belly button where I'm so sensitive. "Once you grow the same membrane within your channel like mine, you could carry our child within you, my One."

I freeze and blink up at him. "I'll grow a membrane like your hot spot?"

"Yes, O'Neill, it's one of the changes taking shape in your body. Some of my fellow Jaffa were allowed to have children for the glory of Apophis. The boys were given to him when they turned 12 for his pleasure."

"That's . . . that's . . . there are no words how awful that is." I am incensed at the thought of children being given away for pleasure of a tyrant.

He stops rocking. "You do not wish to bear a child?"

"What?" I snap my attention back to my lover. "No, not that, Teal'c, it's the whole child molester thing Apophis had going." I think about the first half of his amazing statement. "You mean, while we're making love, one of your sperm could . . . could . . . how does that work?"

He goes back to his rocking and I go back to simmering nicely. "When two Jaffa make a child, it takes seed from both. The one who carries the child comes first then his seed is used to stretch him for the shaft of the other father. When he comes, the seeds find each other and implant within the membrane in a sac of nutritive fluid. There he will grow for a space of six Earth months. When it is time for him to be born, the father carrying him will stretch to accommodate his passage."

"Whoa," I'm trying to picture that while my lower half sounds an enthusiastic 'hell yes, let's do it' kind of feeling. "How much does that hurt? How big would he be?"

"The two I have seen were almost 12 human inches long. Once out of the sac, the baby grows quickly until I do not think you could distinguish a Jaffa child from a human one of the same age. Your nipples are changing now so you could feed him with your own nutritive fluid." His hands continue to stroke me, and I want to purr. "You would grow here to make room for our child. You would also be insatiable and I would be hard pressed to keep up with your constant demands for sex."

I laugh and flex my inner muscles around him. "And that would be different from now?"

His chuckle joins mine and somehow his cock moves even deeper within me. "It would be much the same, my One. We have time to think on this. It would mean our leaving the team and the Stargate project. I think your world would not accept our child."

I shiver and grasp his hands tighter. "I'd be locked up and 'studied' like a freak. You'd be sent away and I'd be all alone again. That's not going to happen, my own."

His look is solemn but then he smiles again. "My Own, I like that, O'Neill."

Thinking back, I realize what I said. It fits perfectly. "You're my very own Jaffa and I'm going to keep you forever. If we need to leave then we'll do that, too. We just need a very safe world like this one. It's like our very own Garden of Eden."

********* Teal'c ********* 

"My One, we shall study this together." I am pleased he accepts my explanation so readily. I felt a difference last night and I know he's already grown the membrane that will hold our child. But he likes to think and ponder a subject for a time before making a decision so I am giving him the space and freedom to do so.

I feel hope for our future and also a slight fear of the military who runs the Stargate project. They are good men and women for the most part but some are phobic about everything alien. I am tolerated by most, liked by some and hated by a few. I do not tell O'Neill about those times when I am verbally attacked. He would do something foolish and hurt himself with the ones in charge.

I find myself wishing very hard for a miracle to occur. This world would be a perfect place for our retirement but it is known by Stargate and I do not know if we could successfully hide from the technology of the humans. Saying a silent prayer to the ancient gods, I return to my meditative state and continue pleasuring my One. He is thinking again but his smile is full of wonder.

Perhaps we shall have our child after all. I let myself free to enjoy the beautiful day and this small paradise we've found. We rock together slowly until finally he comes between us, arching his back so his seed falls onto the soft moss upon which we lie. I release deep within him and relax completely. We move until he is cradled in my arms and we are kissing softly.

We have only seven more days left here and I wish to savor every one of them. I feel O'Neill kiss the nipple over my heart and I suddenly see our child nursing at one of his. And I hold that picture close to my soul like a sacred wish to the gods.

********* Samantha ********* 

"Oh god, that feels good," I sigh deeply and settle into the bubbly water. I am sorer than I've ever been in my life. Thank god, the others found this spring. It has definite healing properties and do I need them.

Danny and I have been going at it like crazed rabbits since we got here and all that friction is hell on my vagina. We've had to limit our lovemaking to oral sex only for the last two days and part of me misses him desperately while part of me is saying 'thank you' over and over again. But these waters are like tonic for my skin and I feel the soreness fading away. Danny is sitting across from me doing a little sighing of his own.

A lock of hair is curling over his forehead and he looks about six years old. Suddenly the old ache blindsides me – the one about getting married, having a child or three, just settling down like my mother did. I never wanted her life, not exactly. I wonder if she and Dad have given up on me yet. Looking at Danny, I get the urge to take him home and show him off to all the nay-sayers in my old home town. 

All the old biddies who called me a tomboy and 'probably no better than she ought to be'; all the boys who refused to let me play ball with them – even though I had the best arm in the neighborhood; the girls who looked down on me because I didn't trowel on the makeup or wear my skirts up to my navel; all the people who thought I was so much less than I knew I was; wouldn't Danny show them? 

Maybe a class reunion – nah, that's way too cliché for me. Besides, I've got nothing to prove to anybody. I'm Captain Samantha Carter and damn good at what I do with my Stargate team.

"Sweetheart, that's a very scary look you're wearing." Danny is eyeing me with a bit of a squint since he isn't wearing his glasses.

"Just old thoughts about my hometown and some of the people there who would have a collective heart attack if they could see me now." I float over to where he's sitting on a rock the guys rolled into the pool yesterday.

"Any old boyfriends I should know about?" Danny pulls me in close and kisses the tip of my nose.

"Nope, I was a tomboy who thought boys were icky." I kiss him back and suck on that cute lower lip of his. "Unless, of course, they could throw a mean curve ball. Then they were okay."

He pouts. "I was never good at games."

"Oh, that doesn't turn me on any more, my love." I float closer so my breasts just graze his chest. The unfocused look is good on him. "Dead languages do it for me now. Tell me in ancient Babylonian that I look hot."

********* Teal'c ********* 

My meditation is taking a very odd turn. Instead of staying anchored in this spot on the beach while O'Neill naps beside me, I am soaring above this continent. My flight is taking me towards a large mountain almost ten days journey from the Stargate. I seem to be seeing through another's eyes but whose, I do not know.

//Watch// 

The word echoes in my mind. I watch as I soar closer to the green colored mountain and begin to distinguish different kinds of trees and foliage. Boulders and meandering streams appear bigger, the closer we get. Then we are on the ground and walking towards two pillars guarding an opening of darkness. We do not stop at the entrance but continue in.

Under my feet are cool tiles and when my weight presses down on them, light blossoms above and beneath me. I am in a tunnel that stretches out before me but the lights only go so far until they stop. Somehow the knowledge is given to me about the preprogramming still in place here.

//Long, long ago//

They are sad, those thoughts. But there is also something hopeful about them.

//Home//

And the new pictures show me and the others living here. 

//Young ones// And that thought shows O'Neill and Samantha Carter holding babies.

"Who are you?" I ask the presence in my mind.

Pictures bombard my mind; the oceans whispering; the mountains standing tall under the sunlight; the green swathes of valleys and plains; flowers, grasses, stones, sand, ice at the polar caps . . . the images are soon a blur.

"Please . . . no more," I beg.

The presence stops and wraps me in loving arms of warm thought.

//I am the world//

And my eyes snap open to find a concerned O'Neill shaking me. 

"Teal'c!" He stops abruptly. "Where were you, my own? Your whole body was trembling."

I look around us. We are still on the beach. "I took a trip to the tall mountain we see haloed by the sunrise each morning. Some . . . one took me there to show me something."

"Someone? Like a memory or a spirit or an alien we haven't met yet?" He hugs me close and strokes the back of my head soothingly.

"I believe it to be this world's spirit." I am not positive but that's what it feels like.

"The planet is sentient?" His eyes widen and then he smiles. "I always thought it would be neat to meet a world like that – kind of a hive mentality but on a billion-squared plus scale. Why did she take you to the mountain?"

I smile back. So quickly he decides the world is a female. "She wished to show me an underground complex built by a race that left here a long time ago. She called it 'home'."

This time his smile is uncertain but hopeful. "A home . . . like for us? What did you think of it? Would we be safe there?"

I draw him closer and kiss the lips he's biting. "She showed me you and Samantha Carter holding babies. I think she believes it to be safe. I also think we should make sure for ourselves. Unfortunately, the mountain is ten days away on foot so we do not have time for a through inspection on this trip."

"And who knows when we'll get any time off again." His sigh is resigned. "Duty doesn't give us much if any leeway."

Thankfully, I am hugging him tightly when the world swirls around us. For one long disorienting moment, I think I might be sick. But when I open my eyes, we are sitting between the stone pillars on the mountain.

"Hey, a little warning, please." O'Neill calls out and a warm breeze ruffles his hair.

//Sorry//

His eyes go wide. "Did she just say 'sorry'?"

"Yes, my One, it appears she speaks directly to our minds." I rise and pull him up with me. "It looks like we can do our own reconnaissance now."

********* Jack ********* 

Okay, so I'm pretty open minded. Aliens, Stargates, baby Gou'alds – but sentient planets that can pick you up and move you across the world and talk to you in your mind? But Teal'c is with me and his warm presence says we can do this. He shows me the tiled floors that look like quartz and may be for all I know but the light source underneath them is interesting.

"How long ago is 'long'?" I wonder out loud while trailing a hand over the smooth rock walls.

//Many, many seasons//

"O-o-okay, we don't have a numbering system yet." I think about it then start counting tiles. "So far we've walked over twenty-eight tiles on the floor and we've just come to one door. Oh look, Teal'c, there's one door bell."

He chuckles and presses the brightly colored panel near what looks like a door seam. With a slight groan, the door slides into the wall on the right. He's my brave protector so he steps in first and light blooms around the room. There's only a little furniture that I recognize, a table and round hassocks that must be chairs.

There's a curvy lounge thing against one wall and it looks comfortable but not big enough for two. I'm not letting go of Teal'c's hand just yet. He's my anchor.

"Another door is over there, O'Neill." With a pointed finger, he shows me the arch. 

And that's when I realize the room is round, full of curves and no sharp angles. "Well, let's see what's there."

The door opens to another round room with a great big round bed in the middle. Suddenly I really need to test it out. Tugging Teal'c with me, I poke it with a finger and feel it give in an odd way. Using my whole hand, I sink in about an inch before feeling warmth rise up around my palm. Pulling back, I watch the depression fill back in.

"I wonder why no dust? Okay, here goes nothing." I sit down on the soft suede-like material and feel the bed conform to my body. Lying back, it kind of cups me all around and a faint warmth begins to travel over my skin. And that's when I realize that Teal'c and I are still naked from our trip to the beach.

Teal'c's eyes are glowing down at me and before I can blink, he's lying next to me and pulling me closer. "You look very comfortable, my One. Perhaps we should further test this bed to see if it can withstand our normal . . . bed sport."

I sigh happily and snuggle close, one hand trailing down to his wide-awake cock. Wrapping my hand around him, I slide up and over his gorgeous body so I can ride him. "I think you're right, Teal'c. Not every surface can handle our wild rides."

He's leaking that slippery stuff again so I just hold it in place against my hole and slowly sink back on him. Wide . . . wider . . . wide to the point of pain then he's inside me and my weight takes me on down to his strong thighs.

"Oh yeah, my own Teal'c," I flex around him and feel his seed seep into me. "Make love to me, big guy. Let's test this bed so we can be sure we want our son to be conceived here."

"My One?" His eyes are glowing and his hands hold my hips still. "You wish to bear our child?"

My smile is undoubtedly sappy but I want him to know just how committed I am to him. "I want at least six kids with you. And I want them to be born here on a world that cares for us."

//yes, yes, yes//

The joy in her affirmative makes me smile and Teal'c joins in. "Then we shall do what we have to for our future, O'Neill. We must consult with Samantha Carter and Daniel Jackson." His hips rise up a notch and I shiver all over. "But that can wait until after we practice making our son."

Oh yeah, I use my thigh muscles to raise up a little before letting gravity bring me on down. We'll make slow, passionate love for a while then go rock Sam and Danny's world. If I know my team, we've just become settlers. But we wouldn't be the only ones for long. Teal'c's long fingers stroke my cock firmly and I have a sudden vision of when he'll be coating his own cock with my seed.

Our son, he'll be a handful all right. Maybe Sam and Danny would have a little girl so our Garden of Eden would continue right through to another generation – those thoughts are for the future. Right now, I need to make Teal'c crazy. Well, as crazy as he's making me anyway. If the rest of the furniture is this comfortable, we are going to be testing every single piece for durability.

//Home, home, home// She sang to us.

Yeah, this is beginning to feel a whole lot like home. 

*******************************


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Earth doesn't feel like home anymore.

********* Samantha ********* 

Well, this is . . . absolutely amazing. Danny and I are walking down a long corridor inside a mountain while Teal'c and Jack argue ahead of us. Danny is on high alert and every time he sees a hieroglyphic, he stops and strokes it like a lover. I'm not even jealous, just amused by his excitement. He's so cute when he's in linguist mode.

"Come on, Sam, you've got to see this room." Jack is waving us to him and Teal'c is smiling at him indulgently.

Odd, but the big guy and I both have cute mates. Danny grabs my hand and hurries me as if I've been the one slowing us down. Men. But the room we look into is pretty amazing. It's huge for one thing and misty with the sound of running water that makes me think of the ocean. But we're still in the middle of a mountain. At least, I think we are.

//home, home, home// the world sings to us and I smile.

"We're going to have to come up with a name, guys," Jack is walking across a mossy floor towards the water sound with Teal'c trailing after him. "We can't just keep calling her 'world' or 'her'."

//name// and her tone is a question.

"Yes, a name like mine is Jack although Teal'c here still calls me O'Neill." He doesn't sound put out at that just kind of indulgent.

"Some of us have more than one name and then there are the pet names or nicknames we use on Earth, too." Danny tries to explain but if anything he makes it worse.

"Earth is the name of our home world." I try to be helpful.

//no, home here// she sounds pretty sure of that and she may be right.

"Wow, that's beautiful." Jack doesn't sound awestruck very often but he does now.

And he's right – the water sound is from a waterfall so high we can't see the top. The pool it drains into is huge and if the steam rising from it is any indication, it's like the spa. I can hardly wait to go swimming.

//home// this time she says it decisively //home is name//

Jack chuckles and nods at the same time. "Home it is. What other surprises do you have for us?"

********* Teal'c ********* 

We spend three days in the mountain, exploring all we can before we have Home transport us back to our original huts. We've been eating the fruits and vegetables of this planet and they are good but it also feels right to eat some of the food from Earth. After eating, we sit around the table and O'Neill begins our discussion.

"Danny, what do you know about the race who left all this technology behind?" He asks while rubbing his thumb over my hand absentmindedly.

"I think we're talking about 100,000 years ago they came to this world, built the mountain refuge and then left." He flips through some small flat round disks that play in the small hand units that Home showed us from their control center. "I don't know why but something about their technology or their psyches or something brought the planet to sentience. She's been very lonely since they left although she taught herself a lot over the years."

"The aliens weren't afraid of this world, were they?" Samantha asked.

"No, it wasn't here but there, wherever they came from that took them away. No idea why they didn't come back. Home has kept everything just the way they left it under some kind of stasis fields that she's now broken so we can assess everything." Daniel nodded.

"Teal'c, what about their transportation system?" My mate asks me with a squeeze of his hand.

"It is similar to the Stargate only in that it transports across space and time simultaneously." I take a deep breath because my One will not be pleased with what I say next. "I asked Home to activate it and actually took a trip."

"What?" My One sits up straight and glares at me. "By yourself?"

I must pull him onto my lap for that sweet avowal of our bond. "My One, it was necessary. I could not risk one of you. Although, so far as I am aware, this race never visited my world of origin," we were very careful not to use the words 'home world' any longer since this upset Home, "using the gold in my forehead, it moved me to that planet. I actually stood on the plain for a time before I came back here."

"Wow, that's amazing," Daniel and Samantha speak together.

"We are going to talk about this later, Teal'c." O'Neill's glare is less intense than before. With a sigh, he rests his forehead against mine. "I hate it when you endanger yourself. But I guess I . . . understand it. This time only though." His stern look is so sweet and I try to look contrite.

"We will speak later. I think it is safe for one of you to visit Earth. Daniel's glasses were made there. I do not know if cloth made on a world carry enough essence of the planet to serve as a guide."

Daniel sits upright and nods vigorously. "Home, let's give it a try."

With a pop, he is gone and Samantha is crying out his name. O'Neill jumps up and grabs her into a hug. "He'll be all right, Sam. Home looked after Teal'c, she'll look after Danny."

The worried look on her face does not abate and her body trembles while my One holds her tightly. It seems a very long time but with another pop, Daniel reappears with a big grin on his face. 

"Awesome, guys, I popped onto Earth and then came right back." His face is beaming and Samantha leaves O'Neill's arms to grab him tight. "What's wrong, sweetheart? It was a piece of cake."

"You and I are going to have that same talk Teal'c and Jack are going to have," she says calmly. "However, it appears we can come and go safely. But what if there are delayed reactions? What if popping back and forth uses up our energy or takes days away from our lives?"

These are most disquieting thoughts. "Home, to your knowledge, will going back and forth harm these bodies in which we reside?"

//no harm, protect you always, safe here//

"Okay, we think we're good to go. What about living here? Teal'c and I have talked about it and we want to. Neither of us wants to hide the fact we love each other." O'Neill comes back to me and sits on my lap again with his arms around my neck. "The military mindset would see us separated and who knows what else."

I know he thinks of our children yet unborn and I stroke his back calmly. "I do not wish to hide nor do I wish to endure separation. Neither of us have family on Earth, only a few friends. This world offers us sanctuary and a chance to watch our love grow. This is already becoming our home."

//love you, my bright ones// her thoughts are like a warm hug.

"It will be hard and I'll miss my family but you're right," Samantha's eyes glimmer with unshed tears. "You are the friends who have become my family, and we'll be safe here."

Daniel kisses her tenderly. "I'm a very lucky man to have this family. I want to stay here and watch our own family grow."

********* Jack ********* 

I look into Teal'c's eyes and see only love there so I take my courage in hand. "Um, guys, there's something I need to tell you about our family."

Sam and Danny look up expectantly and I swallow hard before telling them the whole thing - the symbiont bite turning me into a bit of a Jaffa, and my new ability to carry children. Sam's mouth is wide open and Danny is thinking so hard I can hear his brain whirring by the time I stop talking.

Teal'c is watching them while his hands stroke my back soothingly. When they've had enough time to take it all in, he speaks. "Will this disturb you, Daniel and Samantha? Will our child be accepted by you and the children you will have?"

Sam blushes and Danny gets that deer in the headlights look. But Sam beats him into speech. "We're fine with it. Jack and I can bond over our cravings while the two of you pamper us during our pregnancies." Then she winks at me and I have to laugh.

"You got it, Sam. I'm thinking chocolate ice cream with candy sprinkles." I tease her.

She teases right back. "And marshmallows with gooey fudge topping – yeah, I can see us now."

Danny groans in mock dismay but grins. "Teal'c, my friend, we're in so much trouble."

My big Jaffa smiles and his hand below the table strokes my suddenly wide-awake cock. "We shall bond while our mates drive us insane, Daniel."

And the other two burst out into loud laughter while my blood heats up and I move my ass over a very lumpy lap. Whispering in his ear, "We still have a couple of things to decide then you're taking me back to our hut and fucking my brains out."

His hand squeezes gently around my hard cock and his smile turns tender. "I like your brains where they are, my One. But I shall enjoy taking you on the bed where first we loved."

Ah, the big guy really knows how to melt me into a puddle. But back to our discussion. I move around enough so I can see the other two easily. "Okay, a couple more things. Do we go back day after tomorrow and resign? What do we do if they won't allow us to go? Is there anything on Earth we can't live without? Any people we want to invite to come along? Any questions you have we need answers to?"

Danny nods. "I have books and resources I'd hate to leave behind. And if they don't want to let us go, can Home snatch us back anyway?"

"Clothes," Sam says decisively. "I know we're not wearing much now but if there's a cold season here, we need to think about it and none of the rooms have cloth that I can see. Well, except those wonderful blankets on the beds. And food, what about supplies for at least Teal'c's bread? I'm not ashamed to admit I love it."

"I wonder if Dr. Fraiser would like to leave the mountain." Teal'c says calmly. "She is mated to Lieutenant Terry Brady and O'Neill says their love is forbidden under military regulations."

"What, Janet's in love with blonde Viking Terry?" I ask him in amazement. "Whoa, didn't see that coming."

"Their scent is the same, and Dr. Fraiser often mutters about leaving for sunnier climates." My mate continues to surprise me.

"Let's make lists of things and people and run them by Home to see what she thinks." I really need to get Teal'c naked in the next five minutes. Luckily, he knows exactly what I'm thinking and stands up still holding me.

Sam is laughing at us but I don't care. Attacking my mate's soft earlobe with nips and licks, I urge him to hurry to our bed. Luckily, he has me stripped and flat on my back in a minute's time while he strips away his own shorts and frees Big T. I pull back my legs to expose myself to him, and he licks my hole until I'm writhing on the sheets and chanting his name.

With a swift thrust, he's inside me and I'm stuffed all the way to my throat with his cock. I relax all over and he goes deep enough to make me scream. My prostate is a happy camper but the new membrane I grew feels even better. "More, my own, make me scream again."

"It will be fast, my One, since we need to make our lists." He plants his knees, takes my legs over his arms and begins to thrust hard. "The sooner we leave our old life, the sooner we can begin our new."

"I'm a little scared about getting pregnant." I decide to come clean. "I want to but I'm a little bit worried I'm too old. A woman my age would think twice about carrying a child to term."

"I would carry him, my One but my symbiont will not allow it." Teal'c is still moving strongly and the little guy is trilling from his pouch. "There is not enough room for both a child and him. Your age should not be a factor, O'Neill. The changes in your body have regressed your physical age to a male in his 30's."

"Really?" I hadn't thought about that. "Okay, that makes me feel better. Oh-h-h-h, that makes me feel really, really good. Harder, Teal'c."

His chuckle makes me smile while I arch my back and come hard. One final thrust and the familiar feel of hot seed races through me. He leans down and kisses me while my arms come up around his thick neck and pull him closer. His symbiont is busy licking us clean while we feast on each other.

We've got work to do but so long as we make time to make love frequently, we'll be okay.

********* Teal'c ********* 

We walk through the Stargate and are welcomed by the Earth guard on duty. Our duffle bags are full of dirty clothes and some pretty rocks but nothing that would raise any concerns. Lt. Brady is waiting for us and requests O'Neill report to General Hammond at once. He leaves us with a smile and his bag, and we continue to our quarters. Already the air smells stale to me, and the base is cold even though we are wearing more clothes than we've worn in two weeks.

But around my neck a crystal from Home glows warmly against my skin. 

The next two days are busy. O'Neill speaks frankly with the General about his desire to retire; Daniel and Samantha box up all his books and research in large crates and send them to Home with a pebble in each one that we brought with us; I pack up those items my One wishes to keep and send them off, too.

O'Neill invites Dr. Fraiser over for dinner and swears her to secrecy. She listens with an open mind and even visits Home when my One takes her with him. I am not jealous but I do make haste to reclaim him when the others leave. We are surrounded by Earth items but nothing feels right except for him. O'Neill takes his savings and puts them in another bank under a pseudonym he established many years ago. It is also in San Francisco, a city where he says I'd be a big hit.

I'm not sure what he means by this but he's smiling so it must be all right. 

He admits to feeling constrained by this place he has called home for many years. Where ever he is, there is my home, I tell him and his smile tells me we shall be making love in front of the fireplace in his house tonight. But instead a short mission comes up, and we take it with trepidation but resolve that it shall be our last.

It is dirty and dangerous but we survive and return. Dr. Fraiser is waiting for us, and she asks us over to her house for dinner. Lt. Brady is there also, and they ask to visit Home again. We all go this time, and I can see O'Neill relax tense muscles. Home shows us the medical center, and the doctor's eyes gleam with excitement. Lt. Brady smiles at her glee, and I think perhaps we have more friends who will be here for us.

We return to Earth and it is harder this time. I miss being with O'Neill every moment of every day. His meetings take him away from us frequently and there is an odd feeling about the base that seems to bring out more negative comments when I am without my team. I do not go to the gym anymore for fear of a confrontation. Daniel witnessed one such incident accidentally and his anger at the disrespect shown me was intense.

He complains to the General and that is when we are told that one faction of SG1 has asked for all aliens to be returned to their home worlds. O'Neill is incensed and only my hand on his knee keeps him from standing up and pounding on the table. Daniel, too, is angry and resigns then and there. He tells General Hammond that he will go with me if I am sent away so he can continue his research.

Unexpectedly, the General accepts his resignation and I feel a touch of fear at his calculating look. Then he tells me he is sorry but I will be confined to the base until it is decided when I will be sent back. I nod calmly but inside I am shouting in anger. My quarters here are monitored so I will not be able to be with my One.

O'Neill stands up and goes to attention. "I respectfully resign, General Hammond. I can not in good conscience stay with a program which throws away good people because of some kind of xenophobia." 

Samantha is right beside him. "General Hammond, I must respectfully concur. I resign."

"Both of you are resigning your commissions?" He asks as if it is of no matter to him.

"Yes, Sir," they say in unison.

"Well, if that's how you feel, I must accept them. Team One is hereby disbanded. You will have the rest of today to clear your offices of any personal items. All boxes will be examined before you leave the base. Dr. Jackson and Teal'c will be escorted to the Gate at 1600 hours for transport to . . . ah, Chulak. That should give you time to say your goodbyes." His smile is genial and I feel the cold intensify. "It was a pleasure serving with you, gentlemen and Captain Carter. I wish you luck in your future endeavors."

O'Neill is trembling with anger but he manages a curt nod before turning and leaving the room. Daniel is quivering with the need to speak while Samantha is seething but remaining professional. I simply follow them and keep myself ready for attack, in case something even more strange should occur.

We meet in O'Neill's office which still has a few items in it. We speak only of memories and good times. Samantha talks of going home for a long visit while Daniel talks of a research project he's always wanted to do on my home world. O'Neill manages a few words about going fishing while his eyes tell me that he needs to be held. We say our goodbyes to a few others, including Dr. Fraiser and Lt. Brady. One last meal in the crowded mess hall and it is time for Daniel and I to depart through the Stargate.

O'Neill hugs us both then Samantha does also and we shoulder our backpacks to walk up the ramp. The familiar sparkle of the Gate swallows us whole but a moment later we are with Home. How she snatched us out of the vortex, I do not know but I feel myself relax when I see the familiar smooth walls of our new home.

"Damn it, we've got at least an hour until the others can leave." Daniel is pacing.

I feel the same anxiety. I need my One.

//safe, all safe here// she reassures us but it does not help.

Only holding O'Neill in my arms will help. But it will be some time before they can leave the base to come to us so we work on unpacking one of Daniel's crates in the space where he has his office. The task is tedious but it keeps us busy and that is something of a relief.

Finally, a soft pop and our companions join us. A moment later and O'Neill is in my arms, his lips on mine while I drink in his essence. Being without him is agony and I vow to never again let that happen. Daniel and Samantha are doing the same thing across the room and I pick my One up and carry him away to our new home. 

We have discovered ten layers of this complex so far and there is more to come but for the moment we are remaining in the top five. The very top three floors seem to be for singles while the next few layers have suites of rooms to accommodate families. Since we will be growing our family, O'Neill and I chose a suite near the waterfall cavern. I love to see him wet.

He scatters kisses all over my face while speaking quickly of the time separating us. "It was surreal, Teal'c. The base felt like a time bomb and everybody was so jumpy, it's a wonder we got out of there alive. I called Janet and told her to make up her mind soon. I honestly don't know what to think. General Hammond is acting so strangely. I kept waiting for him to take me aside and explain why he jumped on our resignations but . . . nada. Thank god we'd already sent everything ahead."

"You are all right," I scanned his body the moment he hugged me but I think the damage is to his heart and soul.

His little shiver makes me hold him closer. "I wasn't sure you were safe except for my crystal heating up a few seconds after you and Danny disappeared through the Gate." He kisses my throat before continuing. "I called my realtor and told her to put the paperwork through. I'll check with her in a week or so and see if there are any nibbles."

Carrying him through our new front door, I finally feel we're both safe. His little sigh tells me we think as one. Our new bedroom is full of color now but the round bed is the original one from the old ones. Laying him down, I speedily undress him while his hands begin stripping me to bare skin. This time shall be fast and hard to reassure ourselves we are both safe and together.

Twisting under me, he goes up on all fours and shoots me a heated look over his shoulder. "Now, my own, come in and remind me that soon we'll create our first child."

I lick between his cheeks, enjoying the tangy musk that is his alone. His entrance spasms open for me and my shaft demands its home. I'm already leaking when I push inside and we both groan at the surge of reconnection. He is glove tight around me and I angle my thrusts so I hit both his gland and his new membrane. I put all my power into my hips while he shouts my name and pushes back against me.

I explode into him with a sigh and feel him constrict around me when he follows me. His arms give out about then and I follow him down, blanketing his body with mine. Licking the salty sweat from his neck, I move us just far enough to our sides so I don't crush him. His body is loose and limp against me and I stroke his stomach with both hands.

"I'll give you a thousand years to stop that." His voice is satiated and I smile in satisfaction. "I need a nap and then a big meal to celebrate us getting away. Oh, and a swim to loosen me up after we eat."

I nuzzle into the back of his neck, biting a tiny bit of skin with my teeth. "You are quite loose now, my One. But what ever you wish to do, we shall do."

His hands come up to cover mine. "Well, when I'm all loose, I thought maybe we'd come back here and see about getting me pregnant."

My shaft grows rigid in a heartbeat and his channel twitches around me. "We have time, my One. We do not need to rush this."

He brings our linked hands to his lips and softly kisses each of my fingers. "There is no rush, just an aching need to prepare for our future. The more I think of our son, the more I want him here – in our arms and our new world. And for him to be here, we need to create him with all the love we've been saving for each other."

"My One, you humble me," I kiss his shoulder and begin to rock inside of him. "We will create a beautiful son. He will grow big and strong safe within your body and I shall protect both of you until he is ready to be born. Then we will raise him to know only love and joy."

He flexes around me and relaxes even more. "You always take care of me, my own. I plan on being quite insatiable for the next few months. I wonder if we could journey to Chulak and speak with your healers for more information on what birthing our son will be like. I do have a few questions."

I release gently into him and hold him close. "I think it a fine idea. We might even gain one or two of my fellow Jaffa who would like a fresh start on a new world. Home will be pleased at that."

//more, more, more// she sings quietly to us while we slip into sleep.

********* Janet ********* 

Things are so wrong it isn't funny. The base is colder than a January day and everyone is acting odd. I miss Jack and Sam the most but every time I ask about them, I get stonewalled. More and more, I'm wishing I'd just said yes to their proposal to move to their new planet.

Terry agrees so we packed our bags and a few things we didn't want to leave behind in preparation for activating our crystals. I'm scared but also resolved when I hand in my resignation to the General. And that's when things go even weirder. He refuses to accept it and tells me I'm confined to the base. He even has a guard escort me to sickbay and keep me there.

Luckily, Terry sees my escort, and thinking quickly, she drops a weight on her foot in the gym. Limping down to sickbay, she cajoles the guard into letting her in so I can look at her injury. In low whispers, I explain what just happened. It's just too strange, and I wrap an ace bandage around her foot slowly to give us time to decide what to do. Just when I'm about to suggest we simply trigger our crystals, the General walks in and says he's changed his mind.

He accepts my resignation, suggests I drive Terry home and shakes our hands with a smile. I'm thinking about pod people and Twilight Zone episodes but I grab this chance to escape with both hands. Helping my lover to my car, I settle her in and start the drive down the mountain. I relax once we've cleared the base and Terry takes my right hand in hers with her own sigh of relief. 

And that's when I realize the brakes don't work.

**********************************


	6. Chapter 6

********* Jack ********* 

One minute we're playing in the waterfall pool, all four of us; the next moment Janet and Terry are collapsed on the moss next to the water's edge. They both look like screaming would be a good thing, and Sam rushes out of the water to pull them into a hug.

"What's wrong, Janet? Are you guys all right?" She asks them although all of us can see they're shaking hard.

"No brakes, the bastards did something to the brakes," is all Janet can get out before she faints. 

Terry is shaking all over, her hand gripping Janet's like it's her only lifeline. "First the General wouldn't accept Janet's resignation then a couple of hours later he did. I pretended to be injured since they confined her to sickbay so he told her to drive me home. We thought we'd gotten away clean but that first curve after you leave the front gate?" She pauses until I nod. "Well, that's when we discovered her brakes had been cut."

"Damn them to hell and back," I growl and pick her up while she shivers so hard I'm afraid her bones will break. Teal'c has Janet in his arms, and we carry them to the rooms we'd tentatively put aside for them. Looks like we've got more family, and a bigger problem back on Earth than we thought.

"Home, I think the Stargate needs to be disabled. Can you do that?" I say into thin air while my eyes meet Teal'c's. He understands and nods his approval.

//bad, bad gate, make it gone// she says firmly and I have no doubt she's taking care of it while we see to Terry and Janet.

"Um, guys," Terry is fidgeting on the side of the bed, her eyes everywhere but on us.

Oops, we forgot we decided on a naked day. Sam is giggling like a school girl while the three of us guys back up and flee the room. Smooth, real smooth I think while streaking back to our rooms and the shorts we normally wear for modesty's sake. Oh well, it could have been worse, we could have been fucking right there on the moss. Hell, we're all family now.

I've got a good lock on Janet's place so Teal'c and I go check it out. We can see where they'd been packing so we drop pebbles in all the boxes and suitcases and send them to Home. Janet's desk still has papers on it so Teal'c finds an empty box and we put everything from the desk into it before going Home ourselves. Anything else and we'd come back for it.

It could be days before their accident is investigated – if it ever is. I am beginning to think Earth has been invaded by serious bad asses or someone is taking over the US government from within. I am also thinking Sam needs to go talk to her family and maybe get them here to safety. Better safe than sorry as my grandpa used to say. Now that I've got a family again, I'm going to be very protective.

We meet at dinner and already I can see Janet and Terry relaxing. Our conversation is about the little things we're discovering in our new home like the indoor orchard where some of the new fruits we enjoy grow; the strange music Daniel released when he pushed a wrong button in the control room; the beach where we still go almost every day to swim and relax.

The sudden terror of their escape is catching up to them, and we escort them back to their new rooms and kiss them goodnight. If they think it odd that we all kiss each other, they don't say anything, just peck us on our cheeks and close the door behind them. I ask Home to keep an eye on them to make sure they don't have nightmares and she agrees. It's nice having someone who looks after us with only the best intentions in mind.

********* Teal'c ********* 

My One is tense after the revelations of the day, and I ask Home to transport us to the beach. Fresh air and a vigorous swim will relax him. He smiles at me and strips off his shorts before heading into the water. I follow and we swim out three miles before heading back to the cove where we first loved.

"Thanks, Teal'c." He puts his feet down, slicks back his wet hair, and smiles at me. "I needed that. Damn it, I want to worry about getting pregnant, not about who's trying to take over the Stargate project."

I pull him close and his arms hug me tightly. "I know, my One. I too, wish to work with life instead of death. If Earth was awakened like Home is, she would be able to sort this out."

He stills and I can see him thinking. "Home, do you remember when you first knew yourself?"

//long, long ago, my bright ones//

"Do you remember waking up, Home?" O'Neill cocks his head, his eyes slightly unfocused.

There is silence for a long moment then she speaks //much energy, much, much power flowing around me when the first ones arrive//

"Did it feel anything like when the Stargate activates?" he asks, and I wonder where his mind is taking him.

//like but not-like, thunder and lightning like//

"Hm-m," he rests his head on my chest. "Did the first ones bring anything with them on their first trip in? Anything that is still here now?"

"That is a good thought, my One." I kiss the tender skin at his temple and feel his smile against my nipple.

//yes, tall arrow on top// she projects into our minds a pillar of dull green standing in what appears to be an ice field

"Is that at your north or south pole?" O'Neill concentrates on it. 

//north// she shows more detail of the pillar and the hieroglyphics covering the sides.

"Danny needs to look at it more closely, Home. If it left here and traveled to Earth, could you still move us back and forth? Is it powering what you can and can't do?" O'Neill is biting his lip and I sooth it with mine.

While Home thinks, he opens to me and sucks my tongue into his mouth where he entwines it with his. We taste of each other. But Home interrupts us with an excited thought.

//not active now, silent since first come here, move it like move you, use Earth stone//

"Wow, it could work." O'Neill licks his lips. "We need to talk to the others. Home, could you take us back?"

Before I have time to blink, we are in our rooms. Hastily we dress and head for the control room where the others are waiting. Home shows the others the pillar and Daniel goes into a trance while his hands twitch and blur on the tabletop keypad. The screen overhead flashes in a rainbow of symbols and words almost too fast for Jaffa eyes to perceive. 

We must fill in our new friends and by the time we've told our stories, Daniel is sitting back with a sigh. Samantha rubs his shoulders free of tension and he looks at us with a look of wonder.

"It's like a defibrillator, guys, but for planets. The First Ones went world to world waking up each planet, bringing them up to speed, then moving on. For some reason, they didn't finish their plan for Home, but had to leave. I think they thought they'd be back but something kept them from ever doing so." He grasps one of Samantha's hands and brings it to his lips.

"Is it self-starting or is there something needed to spark it?" O'Neill is holding a cup of coffee that's half-full.

"Home could provide the spark when she transports it. There's a receptacle on the side for a sample of the planet's ore. I don't want to give up my glasses though." Daniel smiles sheepishly.

"I have a geode from a recent rock climbing trip I took to Yosemite National Park," Lt. Brady offers shyly.

"That would work," my mate is excited but trying to hide it. "Now, the big question – do we have the right to use alien technology to try to wake up Earth and bring her to sentience?"

Silence falls around the round table.

"The six of us can't take on the entire Stargate project. We don't know how far into government circles this . . . this what ever this is . . ." Dr. Fraiser sounds exasperated. "If nothing else, Earth can decide for herself what she wants. There's a reason we call her 'Mother Earth'."

"I'm afraid of what may be happening to my family." Samantha is sitting on Daniel's lap now, their arms holding each other tight. "But whatever is happening is big . . . really big and it frightens me. I don't want anyone here hurt. Home, could you talk with Earth when she wakes up?"

//yes, talk now to world before me// she sends us a picture of a lush green world revolving around a yellow star

"That's great," my mate sits up straight. "Could you ask her if her experience was like yours?"

//yes, she says yes, wants to help// there is a fond note in her thoughts

"Excellent, we have a plan. Do we do it?" He looks in each face as if searching for truth.

"Yes," I say simply.

"Yes," Dr. Fraiser concurs.

"I believe it's a viable option," Daniel nods.

********* Jack ********* 

"Yes," Sam agrees.

"Yes." Terry looks a little overwhelmed but anyone would be. Luckily, she has Janet to lean on.

"I think it's our best shot. We need to get Earth's Stargate turned off so if there is out-planet interference, they can't get in any more troops or advisors or whatever they're doing." I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Teal'c's hand clasps mine tightly and I squeeze back in thanks.

"I'll go get the geode." Terry stands up and hurries out with Janet right on her heels.

I hope they take a long moment to reassure each other.

I'm full of nervous energy and I need to get fucked really soon. Sliding closer to my mate, I lean in to whisper in his ear. "As soon as Home transports the pillar to Earth, I need you to take me to bed and fuck me unconscious."

His breath catches and the gleam in his eye makes my heart beat faster. His whisper touches my ear softly. "I shall take you to bed and make you scream, my One. Then I shall paint my shaft with your seed and slide so deep inside of you, you'll think I am never coming out."

My moan is almost a growl. "Yes, Teal'c, oh yes, we'll practice making our son."

I feel so empty inside and only he can fill me up. Our seed combining is such a hot idea, I'm practically panting already and we haven't even gotten naked yet. But the girls are back and with great determination, I act the part of leader. Terry puts the geode on the table and we look at the sparkly quartz before taking a collective deep breath.

"Home, are you ready? Is there anything we can do to help?" I ask her, not really sure if we could be hurting her with our request.

//Laulac will help// and the picture of her sister world flashes through our minds //now//

It feels a little anticlimactic until Home sends us a picture of the tall pillar now pulsating with green and gold lights. It looks like it's at Earth's north-pole and I wonder if that's where all the awakenings have occurred since the First Ones started waking up planets. I smile and lean against my lover for a soft kiss.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm taking Teal'c back to our rooms to celebrate." Rising, I pull him up with me. Sam is laughing at us but Danny is nodding agreement.

"I think that's the best idea you've had in a long time, Jack." Janet springs up and Terry comes with her. "We'll see you all later."

Teal'c sets a fast pace back to our rooms and I match him step for step. The emptiness is an ache that never really goes away. Finally naked, we roll on the bed, first with me on top then with Teal'c. I like that best and so does his symbiont. The little guy is trilling away while my cock oozes salty tears of precome. My lover's hot mouth is nursing my crown and I can tell I'm going to come fast and hard.

And then I'm there, arching up and releasing onto his tongue. Oh, that feels good. I relax into the soft blanket and watch with lazy eyes while he carefully spits some of my seed into his big hand. Our eyes meet and I catch my breath. This is it. If we do this, I could get pregnant. Our child's cells could begin multiplying and growing.

My stomach is quivering and it's hard to breathe. But dear god, I want this. I want him to give me our child. So I take my courage in hand. "Do it, Teal'c, let's get started on our future. I love you."

His eyes are glowing and I watch while he smooths my seed over his hard cock. He's already oozing his slippery lubricant and I wonder if there's any of his DNA in it yet. "I love you, my One. This will be better if you are on your side, facing away from me. That way I can stay inside you for a while."

"Give the little swimmers some time to find my membrane, huh?" I smile shakily and lift a leg over him so I can go to my side. 

His warmth is there at my back immediately and his fingers spread more of my seed inside of me before I feel his crown push past the tight muscle. Then he's sliding in all the way and I sigh in relief. Nothing else feels this good. Nothing ever will.

"My One," his kisses are placed randomly along my hairline and I shiver at the erotic feeling. "You are my dearest love . . . the other half of my soul . . . the mother of our future children . . . the man who brings me peace after a lifetime of war."

Sudden tears flood my eyes and I blink hard to keep them from falling. "My own love, you keep me sane and give me a peace I never knew I needed."

We hold each other tight and slowly make love for a long time. When he finally fills me with his come, I pulse out a drop or two into his hand. I must have come so hard before, I didn't have time to make more. In my mind, I picture one of his sperms finding one of mine and coaxing it through the membrane for a little privacy. And just like Teal'c pierces me, so does his sperm arrow into mine until they become one cell.

And our love feeds it until it divides once, then twice – and so it begins. New life, partly him and partly me, growing safe and secure inside of me. After being a warrior most of my life, just like Teal'c, I'm creating something new – no, someone new. Falling asleep, I hold his arms tighter around me and sleepily wonder if I'm really pregnant on the first try. If not, we'll have to do this again . . . and again . . . and a-.

********* Teal'c ********* 

He sleeps in my arms and my shaft fits snugly into his depths. I do not know if we have succeeded in creating a child but my heart swells with joy anyway. He has given me his love and his trust, two such precious gifts. I remember speaking with my friend Mel'tic when he was close to delivering his first child.

The Jaffa's stomach had swollen to three times its normal size and occasionally the imprint of a tiny foot could be seen from within his skin. Mel'tic had a joyous nature and each change in his body had been celebrated with his mate Gaal'c. The moment when he first saw his belly curve out; his insatiable desire to be mated at least six times a day; his craving for jeltac at each meal; the first time the baby moved within him; all these experiences brought him happiness.

O'Neill is a very private man but since we began to love, he has opened up with the others and allowed play to enter our lives. Dr. Fraiser and Lt. Brady still do not know about the changes in his body. The doctor will need to know soon, especially if we have succeeded in creating our first child.

I smile into his neck and stroke his stomach with my hands. What will it feel like to watch it round out over our child? Although, he is now part Jaffa, he is still part human and no human male has ever born a child before. Should I have even told him this was possible? We have both had sons and I would not give up any of my memories of my Rya'c just as he cherishes each memory of Charlie.

"Home," I hesitate, unsure how to ask my question.

//new light// she answers before I even know what to ask //all lights will be safe, my bright one//

"Thank you, Home." I think harder. "Soon, I wish to travel to Chulak to see if others of my kind also wish to move here to have their children in freedom."

A warm thought is my only answer and I have the impression that her attention is now on the newest sentient planet. I think of my former friends and companions. Mel'tic had never recovered from having to give their son to Apophis. He'd been relegated to the kitchens of the royal palace while Gaal'c stood guard over the summer palace. I think they would welcome the chance to love openly and bear children they could save and protect.

I wonder if my now grown son, Rya'c would like to come. Bra'tac has told me he is interested in one of the young women of the village. Perhaps I will be a grandfather before I am a father again. 

"You're thinking very hard about something, my own." O'Neill's voice is rough from sleep. "Oh good, you're still inside of me. I bet I can get you excited again."

"You excite me by just lying here, my One." I admit the truth and enjoy his chuckle. His inner muscles are flexing around my shaft. I do not think I ever softened after coming the first time so it is easy to begin to rock in and out of his warm channel.

"Yeah, you're my very own Jaffa stud," he teases me when I begin to lick along his shoulder. "What were you thinking about, Teal'c? I could feel it when I woke up."

"I was wondering if some of my Jaffa friends might wish to join us." I tell him about Mel'tic and Gaal'c.

"We'll ask them soon. I'd love to have someone to answer questions for me. What aren't you saying about them?"

O'Neill is a very perceptive man so I tell him of their son and his being given to Apophis. His hands stroke his stomach protectively as if he already knows he has conceived. "That won't happen ever again. Did he ever have another child?"

"No, my One, he never did, although he longed for one. Gaal'c told me he would never dare risk it. But now, they could create another child who would grow up free like our son." I slide a hand around his reawakened shaft and he presses back against me.

"I'm pregnant, aren't I?" He twists a little and those beautiful eyes gaze into mine.

"Home says there is a new bright light inside of you." I rub my cheek against his and slide a soft kiss over his mouth.

His silent 'oh' is swallowed by our kiss and for a long moment we celebrate new life in a tender embrace. But this position is not easy on his neck so we go back to rocking our way to another release. This time he comes first and squeezes my seed into his depths. His sigh of completion is music to my ears and I finally pull from him so I can properly embrace him for a long kiss.

********* Janet ********* 

I wake up with a racing heart but the low light in the room shows me our new living quarters. Slowly, it's beginning to look like ours. Terry and I hadn't had the chance to live together so this is a new endeavor in more ways than one. We're safe, I keep repeating to myself, we're safe. In all the years I practiced medicine in war zones, I'd never been as afraid as I was on Cheyenne Mountain three weeks ago.

"Hm-m, you're awake." Terry pulls me closer and I smooth a caress down her back. 

Our first kiss of the day is just as sweet as the last one was. She really likes this new world and through her easy acceptance of our new life, I'm beginning to come around. It's extremely freeing to be able to kiss and touch in front of our friends.

I murmur contentedly when her lips trail down to the nipple over my heart. She's into dedicated nursing and it always makes me arch into that hot mouth of hers. Knowing fingers delve between my legs and I spread them wantonly so she can plunge deep. Her thumb rubs my clitoris and I gasp before arching my back.

Her chuckle and nip of my now turgid nipple starts me panting. She's the only one who can turn me on so quickly. Now her leg is between mine and I'm rocking back and forth to get the friction I need to come. Switching breasts, she keeps on sucking until I explode. Lying there, limp and loose, I comb shaky fingers through her long blonde hair.

"Love being able to see you with all this beautiful hair cascading over your shoulders," I start the scalp massage she likes best.

Letting my nipple fall from her lips, she smiles up at me. "And I love not having to screw it up tight everyday. You feeling better, Jan?"

Smiling ruefully, I run a gentle finger down her dear face. "I'm feeling much better. Every day I find yet another reason to be grateful to the others. I didn't realize how uptight I was until I started to relax. Thank god, they found this refuge and invited us to join them."

"Teal'c is the one who knew about us." Terry smirks at me. "Jack told me Teal'c said we were mates because we smelled like each other."

"What?" I open and close my mouth at least twice while she laughs at me. With a quick flex of my body, I push her flat on her back so I can slither over her. "Young lady, it's most unwise to tease your elders."

"Oh, most venerable ancient one," her mocking tones make me laugh. "Love it when you do that."

I wiggle over her flat stomach and lick my way up the plump breast to a tasty nipple. "This?" Sucking hard, I enjoy her gasp. Pushing both of my legs between hers, I spread her thighs. "Or how about this?" One hand delves deep between her moist folds, and she arches up with a groan. "Think maybe it could be this?" And with another slither, I'm between her legs, angling up her hips so I can get my tongue on her clit.

"Yes! That's what I'm talking about." She wiggles all over and I feel her hands on my head. "Oh . . . more . . . Jan . . . oh god . . . yes-s-s-s."

And I'm rewarded with her sweet come. She shudders once then again before going limp. I gentle my licks since she's always more sensitive then. Tenderly, I slide back up into arms already reaching for me. We kiss and she scours her taste from my mouth. It's so good to be able to take our time of a morning instead of rushing off to work.

"Hm-m, we taste good together. But I'm hungry, Jan." Her stomach growls and I chuckle.

"Me too, sweetheart, let's get up and see if Teal'c made more of his bread." I roll out of bed and she follows me.

It's exhilarating to dress in shorts and a halter top with only sandals for our feet. Hand in hand, we travel down the lighted corridor to the room where we normally start our days, a small room off the control room. There's cooking equipment there that we're figuring out. The others are already there and my heart gives that little jump is always gives when I see a laughing Jack.

He's sitting on Teal'c's lap while they kiss and I feel my crotch begin to dampen. Terry told me she has the same reaction so this morning will go to feed that fantasy file we're creating. Their love affair has to be the hottest thing since Teal'c's bread. I love the way they feel free to indulge in loving behavior in front of their friends. It means we can kiss in public, too.

And Terry lays one on me right then with a little whisper about 'later' that would have my panties dampening except I'm not wearing any.

"Morning, ladies," Jack squirms a little on Teal'c's lap and I can see the loving but chastising look the Jaffa sends him. "We've got bread and ripe gua'ange."

Terry loves the fruit which is a cross between a guava and orange, hence it's name. She licks her lips and bounces a little on her feet. I love that reaction and so does Jack if the glazed look is any indication. My Terry is six foot of Viking goddess and I love how she mows down the men. Teal'c is smiling though so he's not threatened by Jack's knee-jerk reaction to bouncing 42 D melons barely contained by the stretchy halter-top.

I know how much I love holding them so it's only fair others have a fantasy or two of their own. I pour us both some of the coffee while she fills two plates with our breakfast. Danny wanders in then and I hand him a cup of fresh brewed Blue Hawaiian. He inhales the steam like it's life blood and his smile is nothing short of beatific.

"Morning, everybody," he mumbles before taking his first sip. "Ah, that's good. Sam isn't feeling very well this morning. Janet, could you check her after breakfast?"

"Sure, honey, I'd be glad to." I sit down and catch an interesting look between Teal'c and Jack.

"Um, Danny," Jack clears his throat and then hesitates.

"Samantha is pregnant, Daniel. Her scent changed last week." Teal'c says calmly, and I freeze with toast in hand.

"What?" Danny sputters then starts to smile. "We're going to have a baby?"

"Yes, Daniel, you have created new life." Teal'c's smile is tender.

"Wow, I've got to go tell her." Danny rushes out and I get up to follow.

"Janet, I need to talk to you later, too." Jack is blushing and I can't imagine why.

"Sure, Jack, once I've spent some time with Sam, I'll come find you." I pat Terry's shoulder. "Save some fruit for me, sweetheart. I wonder if we've got any herbal teas in stock or if we need to make a trip to Earth."

She nods, halfway through her first gua'ange. "No problem, Jan, I'll take some back to our rooms. I'm going swimming when I'm done here. The waterfall is calling my name."

I drop a kiss on her fair hair. "I'll join you in a bit. What a great morning it is."

New life, I love delivering babies. Hopefully, this one is just the beginning of many to come. We really need more settlers so we can keep growing.

*******************************


	7. Chapter 7

********* Teal'c ********* 

Dr. Fraiser is most astonished at our news. She keeps opening and closing her mouth without ever saying a word. O'Neill is trembling a little but only I would notice it since he is close held in my arms.

"Wow," the doctor clears her throat finally, "double wow and also whee!"

I begin to smile while O'Neill sputters her name. "Janet!"

She takes a deep breath and lets it out with a whoosh. "Jack, first – congratulations. Second – can we watch the next time you make love?" She slaps herself. "Forget I asked that. Okay, pictures are running through my head and most of them are x-rated. Whee!" The expression she wears is I believe what humans would call 'giddy'. "All right, I'm calm now. Really, I am."

O'Neill is pouting, and it makes me want to kiss him so I do so. He melts into my arms, and I am hard pressed to keep our kiss vertical since I suddenly have the urge to take him right here in front of the doctor.

"Oh my, that is definitely inspiring. Feel free to do that the next time Terry is here." She's fanning herself, and I can smell her arousal. 

My mate ends our kiss, and still blushing turns to face his friend. "It's been almost a month since I got pregnant. Jaffa males only carry for about six months but I'm still partly human so we don't know what that will mean to our baby."

"Teal'c, are there any medical texts on Jaffa pregnancies?" Dr. Fraiser is now serious, although still aroused.

"Not that I know of, Dr. Fraiser. We have an oral tradition, as you know, and there are stories about how to guarantee pregnancy. Once conception takes place, there is a list of do's and don'ts for each partner. Some of them seem to remain true for humans also."

"Teal'c, please call me Janet. We're going to be seeing a lot of each other." She smiles at me and I nod. 

O'Neill is blushing but his determination to carry this child safely wins out over his shyness. "I'm pretty much insatiable in bed lately. And I can feel a slight difference to my stomach. I think he's growing."

"Jack, I'd like you to lie down on the examination table so I can get a good look at you."

He nods and lies down. I stay close, my hand holding his tightly. When he is flat, I can definitely see a change in his stomach. He is slowly beginning to round. Janet's hands are gentle as they palpitate his abdomen. He catches his breath when she moves to his breasts.

"I'm more tender now than I was before," he tells her, and she nods.

"Any discharge?" She is making notes, and so misses his blush.

"Um, yeah, I'm finally starting to express the nutritive fluid that Teal'c does."

She looks up, startled. "Is that a normal Jaffa body function?"

"Yes, we often produce nutrients for our mates. It is another form of bonding." I am very proud that my One has reached this step of his evolution. "It is also a precursor to the milk he will produce for our child."

"Oh wow!" Janet's arousal spikes higher. "What a . . . provocative picture that is. Aside from increased tenderness, Jack, are there any other changes in your breasts?"

"They feel, um, fuller somehow even though I can't see any difference." 

He can see no difference but I can, and I secretly trace each minute change while he is sleeping. "His back is beginning to ache some days, Janet."

"That's his body pushing his internal organs around. Depending on where he's carrying the embryo, his back muscles will be working overtime to compensate for his change in gravity." She makes more notes. "I wish we could see inside of you, Jack. But even if we could risk a trip to Earth and find a hospital where we could get you in, I won't risk the radiation of x-ray or even an MRI. We don't know what your new hybrid body can take."

His hand goes to his stomach protectively. "He's fine. I won't let anything hurt him."

Her smile is tender. "I know you won't, Jack. This a very lucky baby to have two such great fathers. I am going to take some measurements though so we can keep track of his growth. Stand up for me so I can get this tape measure around you."

I watch her pull a fabric ribbon with numbers on it from a drawer in her desk. Placing it around him, she measures his stomach in three places, then his hips in two places before moving up to his chest. He shivers when she brings the ribbon taut over his nipples, and they peak in an instant. He is blushing again but she just winks at him, and they laugh together.

"Are you ready to go public with your good news, my friends?" She lays her notes aside, and smiles at us. "Samantha shouldn't be the only one being pampered."

O'Neill looks at me with a question in his eyes. "Is that all right with you, Teal'c? I'd love to tell everyone."

"My One, I will proudly tell the others." I cup his cheek in my hand, and he leans into it with a sweet smile.

"Great, let's get to lunch so I have a front row seat." Janet rubs her hands together with a chuckle.

********* Janet ********* 

Oh, it is worth it. I just hope I didn't look that dumbfounded when they told me. I expect I did though. The sheer enormity of a male pregnancy still overwhelms me when I really think about it. Jack O'Neill, hard-assed soldier, carries new life inside of him. If I thought he and Teal'c were hot before, now they are incandescent. I can just imagine that great big Jaffa cock sliding into Jack's fuckable ass.

Damn it, now I'm horny again. Terry's nipples are hard as a rock while she looks back and forth between the two men across the table. Sam is squealing and hugging Jack while Daniel looks pole-axed. Yes, my work here is done. Sliding a hand into my lover's, I tug her closer.

"Congratulations, you two," she manages before pulling us to our feet. "Jan and I are going to go celebrate your great news."

The other four are laughing when she practically dances us out of the room. "Oh god, that is so hot. I am going to fuck you so hard, Janet Fraiser."

I finally manage to stop laughing by the time she pushes me down onto our bed. With one pull, my shorts are off and her face is between my legs. I shriek when she starts fucking me with her tongue, and I come like the slut I am less than a minute later. I'm nothing but a puddle when she rises up, still licking her lips.

Standing up, she shimmies out of her shorts and unties her top so those lush breasts pop out. At 23, she has no sag whatsoever and my hands itch to touch them. But she's pulling open our toy drawer and I bite my lips in anticipation of whatever sex device she wants to play with. Oh good, she pulls out the big chocolate double strap-on dildo.

"Do you think this is as big as Teal'c?" She teases me while sliding the straps up over my legs, and cinching them tight around my hips. "I bet his cock is bigger. Can you just imagine the Colonel's tiny little hole taking that great . . . big . . . Jaffa pole?"

"Oh-h-h," I quiver as the backside of the double dildo slides into my vagina, seating itself within my moist depths. The little knob that slides against my clit turns up the temp in my body. "Yeah, I can see him squirming on Teal'c lap while the big guy slow-w-w-wly sinks inside of him."

"Oh god," Terry straddles my hips, and I position the bulbous crown at her dripping entrance. She rubs against it until it's coated with her juices then begins to sink down. "Oh, it feels bigger than yesterday. God, lucky, lucky Jack to have Teal'c at his beck and call."

She has it all, and I shift my hips a little to move it inside of her. But when I do, I move the backside deeper into me and we both groan. Leaning down, she kisses me deeply, her tongue entwining with mine. We start with gentle rocking, both enjoying the tingles that begin building. My hands cup her breasts while my fingers pinch her nipples to hard peaks. She loves that, and she moves a little quicker, fucking herself on the dildo.

I'm already coming for the second time when she clenches hard and shudders into climax. Collapsing onto me, she shivers again and again. I hold her close and stroke soothing caresses down her sweaty back. Gently, I roll us to our sides so I can breathe easier. She's all muscle and I can only take so much of her weight before I need to move. I wonder if Jack has the same problem.

Which leads me to picturing them like this, and I can feel myself get ready to go again. This time, I get to be on top, and I roll us again so I'm straddling her hips. Her grin is so bright it lights the room.

"I like the way you think, Jan." Her fingers tweak my nipples, and I retaliate with a hard pinch to her rosebuds. Her back arches up into me, and the dildo gives us both a jolt. "Oh yeah, Janet, pinch them hard."

"Jack's nipples are all ready changing to get ready to feed their baby." I roll my hips, enjoying the hard but soft skinned dildo inside me.

"Really?" For a moment the look of yearning on her face stops all motion between us. "Lucky Jack, I always wondered what it would be like to nurse a child."

My touch gentles and I lean down to kiss each rosy nipple. "You'd look beautiful, sweetheart. You know being a lesbian doesn’t mean we can't have children."

This time the look is heartbreakingly needy. "You'd consider it, Janet? Really think about having a child of our own?"

"Of course I would, Terry." I gather my scattered wits. Why didn't I know this secret wish of hers? "Sweetheart, if you want babies then we'll have babies. We can get sperm from Earth or ask one of our friends for a donation."

And with a squeal, she sits up and hugs me tight. Scattering kisses over my face, she chants, "Janet, Janet, Janet, you are so wonderful."

We kiss back and forth until we both come again. Gingerly we separate, the dildo falling between us dripping liberally with our come. Grabbing robes, we head down to the waterfall for a long warm swim in the mineralized waters.

********* Jack ********* 

Well, it feels good not to be keeping any secrets from the others. Sam and I swapped a few stories while Danny tried really hard not to ask any questions. Teal'c says he'll answer them later. Right now, we're floating under the waterfall, and I'm feeling a little needy again.

"Hey, big guy, wanna play hide the sausage again?" I tease him with a caress to his big cock. "I've got a nice warm place for him."

"My One," his eyes gleam and the moment he stands up, I start secreting the same slippery fluid he does.

That makes it a whole lot easier for me to turn around, brace myself against the stone wall, and feel him start to slide inside. I moan and push back, as always in a hurry to feel him take me. That long slide in just makes me feel unbearably smug that I get all of him. 

"You are so tight, my One." His big body is flush against my back, and I luxuriate in his warmth. "I love to feel you around me. Did you mind when Janet was fantasizing about us like this?"

"Hell, no," I clench around him, and he gets the message, starting the slow pull-out and thrust-back-in that turns me to mush. "It's kind of a cliché on Earth about how men get turned on by the thought of two women fucking each other. I have to admit, I like fantasizing about watching the two of them make love together."

His rich chuckle ripples through me. "Jaffa and human are more alike than I had thought. There have long been tales about what goes on between the priestesses in their temples. The speculation fuels many a fantasy between young Jaffa."

I laugh and catch my breath when he catches my gland. I don't know which I like the most – prostate stimulation or the new membrane tingle. "Teal'c, does the baby feel it when I climax?"

"I do not know, my One." His hands pull me back against him, and I love the slightly different angle that creates in his next thrust. "I hope he can feel the love we make. Perhaps the sparks warm him the way you warm me."

Bringing my hands up to hold onto his forearms, I open my legs and let them float in the warm water. That changes his angle again and I shiver when he sinks even deeper. My head falls back on his broad shoulder and his lips slide up and down the side of my throat while I moan breathlessly.

"So good, Teal'c, everything feels so good when you hold me." I'm panting and squeezing my inner muscles around him.

"My One, you give me great pleasure." With a playful little growl, he bites my earlobe and I squeal at the unexpected nip.

My stomach is jumping but in a good way when he hugs me tight and with a slippery hand grasps my overheated cock. With a shout, I come hard and feel him flood me with his seed. It's a damn good thing he's holding me up because I'm limp all over. I've noticed I have the urge to nap after sex these days and this time is no exception. When we separate, I just let him pick me up and carry me to the soft moss shore.

I fall asleep while he's covering me with a blanket.

********* Teal'c ********* 

A week after we tell the others our news, Janet asks us to come to their rooms for coffee. Jack tells me they want something and to play 'hard to get'. I must look puzzled because he kisses me and tells me he'll keep me safe. We go to their rooms after our evening swim in the warm ocean waters off the coast. Home delights in transporting us back and forth so we indulge ourselves with long swims almost every day.

O'Neill rings their bell and Janet answers. "Come in, gentlemen. How was your swim?"

"Great, Janet, you two should come with us." O'Neill kisses her on the cheek still talking. "Terry, you look lovely this evening."

Both of the ladies are wearing dresses and they do look very nice. I take a seat next to my One and Terry serves us coffee. She and Janet sit down across from us, and I sense they are nervous.

"Thank you, Jack. How is the coffee?" Terry is holding her own cup but does not drink.

"It's good." O'Neill splits a look between them. "Out with it, ladies. Just ask us."

I am confused but they are not. Janet relaxes and smiles at my mate. "Very perceptive, Jack. We have something to ask you – both of you actually." She takes a deep breath before speaking. "Hear me out first. Terry and I have been thinking about growing our family. Maybe it's you and Sam getting pregnant or maybe it's just our biological clocks ticking away, but we've decided we'd like to have a child. I can go back to Earth and raid a sperm bank . . . but neither of us like that idea much. Too impersonal. So, we were hoping that maybe one of you would donate some sperm for us."

"Whoa, didn't see that one coming," O'Neill leans into my side and I slip an arm around him to cuddle him close. "Either one of us? I'm a hybrid now and Teal'c is pure Jaffa so who's to say if it would work. Our sperm may be too alien to provide a viable embryo when combined with your eggs."

"We thought about that but I could run some tests in the lab first to see if we could combine them that way." Janet leaned forward. "You're our friends. We both like the idea that the fathers of our children would still be a part of their lives."

"Home, what do you think about this combining?" O'Neill asks suddenly. "Could we produce a viable embryo between Jaffa and human?"

//new lights, yes, change to work// her singing makes us all smile

"Teal'c," my mate's eyes are bright and I think he wants to do this. "It's all right with me. The more kids the better and I like the idea of being part of their lives. Are there any Jaffa taboos about spreading their seed around?"

"No, my One, we are encouraged to mate often and increase the ranks of the Jaffa." I think about the ramifications of this step. "But now, I find myself needing only you to satisfy my urges."

"Ah, my own." He leans in and kisses me softly. We part gently a few moments later. "You satisfy all my urges too, Teal'c. But this would only be for the purpose of getting Terry or Janet pregnant. We're friends so I think we could do it and stay friends." He looks at them with a smile. "You interested in the personal touch or going the 'deposit seed in this cup' route?"

Terry blushes, and Janet starts to laugh and talk at the same time. "God, I love you, Jack. If there are no taboos, we'd love to go the personal route. Heaven knows we've fantasized about the two of you often enough."

"Cool, I'll admit to a fantasy or two of my own. Teal'c says the boys on Chulak wonder what the priestesses in the temple get up to." He waggles his eyebrows and I have to chuckle. "You're okay with this, my own?"

"I am happy to help," I tell him truthfully and receive another kiss from my happy mate.

********* Janet ********* 

I'm damp and I can tell Terry is, too. We're really going to do this. I squeeze her hand and she is practically bouncing on the sofa. This is going to be hotter than hot. At the moment, she's just right in her monthly cycle so we're going to concentrate on her.

"Gentlemen, I suggest we retire to our bedroom and that sinfully big bed." I stand up and draw Terry with me. The other two rise and join us for the walk into the next room. I lit candles earlier and the sweet fragrance of vanilla scents the air. I hesitate, unsure of exactly how to proceed in this seduction.

But Jack takes over as he so often does and kisses first me then Terry. Teal'c is next and I taste the Jaffa for the first time. He's delicious and his arms make me feel quite petite and feminine. Terry is giggling at whatever Jack is whispering in her ear. But I'm doing a little heavy breathing of my own when a large hand slides up under my full skirt. We are wearing sun-dresses but nothing under them and I'm already wringing wet.

Teal'c slides my straps off my shoulders, and my dress falls to the floor with a little help. I need to see him too so with both hands I push down on his shorts. I find myself licking my lips when his cock is revealed. It's a monster all right, just like I thought. Sparing a look next to us, I see Terry naked and busy stripping Jack. 

Oh, he's good and big, too. This is going to be more fun than I thought and my thoughts had been pretty damn good. "Okay, boys and girls, now that we're naked, let's play."

Teal'c's laughter is as much of a turn-on as his body. I feel weightless when he lifts me in his arms and places me in almost the middle of the bed. Jack throws Terry on the bed and then stalks her on hands and knees. Teal'c is scenting me and that's arousing as all hell. After he sniffs, he licks and I'm pretty much a puddle of goo by the time he reaches my pussy.

I shriek and come the minute his tongue slides into me, my thighs clamping around his head like a vice. But he just hums and licks harder. Okay, multiple orgasms-r-us and I arch my back and come again. Terry has a lock on my right hand, and I look over to see Jack deep inside of her while his mouth nurses at her breast. Oh, that is hot. I'm still quivering when I feel Teal'c move to kneel between my legs.

"I do not know if I will fit, Janet. You are very small and I am quite large." His deep voice is like velvet.

I take a good look before sitting up and wrapping both hands around him. "Damn, I think you may be right. Interesting fluid, though, it's like lubricant." I spread it over his cock and start rubbing up and down. He gets even harder and a little bit longer and I just know he'll split me in half. "Damn, he's definitely not going to fit, Teal'c. I've got narrow hips and a size 'b' vagina. You're at least a size 'd' or maybe an 'e'. How the hell do you fit inside of Jack?"

Twin groans from beside us draw our attention to our partners. Terry is quivering all over and Jack is practically passed out on top of her. It looks like they both enjoyed that. I reach over and stroke her breast while she shivers and opens her eyes.

"Oh, he's good, Jan. He's got a little corkscrew thing with his cock that feels wonderful." Her voice is sated and her eyes are just now starting to focus again. "You're going to love him, angel. He gives it everything he's got. Oh wow!"

I laugh as her eyes fall on Teal'c's cock, which I'm still holding. "He's not going to fit me, sweetheart but I think you're going to love him."

She licks her lips while I keep rubbing him with that slippery stuff exuding from his slit. "I think he will barely fit and I can hardly wait to feel him."

"Oh sure, throw me over when you see Big T." Jack is grinning and slowly coming out of my lover. "You're in for a treat if I do say so myself. He'll give you one hell of a ride, Terry."

My lover sits up and kisses Jack before he can slide from between her legs. "Jack, thank you. You give a pretty good ride yourself."

"You're welcome." He rubs his nose against hers playfully. "Any time, sweet thing."

Before we change partners, I take time to pull Terry close and reconnect with her. She is still first in my heart although I do wonder if our relationship with our friends is about to change in a big way. When we come up for air, we watch Jack and Teal'c kiss. That is hotter than hot, and I stroke Terry's clit while she strokes mine. I'm almost ready to come again when they break apart and see us.

"Yum, more pussy," Jack slides between my legs and his tongue goes to work. He's even better than Teal'c, and the little flutter thing he does against my clit has me coming again. He sucks hard then slides up my body until I feel his cock slowly nudge between my folds. His big hands tilt my hips so he can sink inside of me. He's big but not too big and oddly enough, that slippery stuff is helping.

Terry's moan draws both our attention to the pair beside us. I reach for her hand and hold on while Teal'c sets his crown to her folds and very slowly pushes in. 

"Oh god, oh-h-h-h," she's panting and trembling and her grip is about to cut off the circulation in my hand. Then with a shriek she bows her back and comes so hard she passes out.

And Teal'c isn't even all the way in. He stops moving though and I swallow hard. "Is there any give at all, Teal'c? Do you think you can go further?"

"Yes, but should I?" His eyes show fines lines of tension around them. "Perhaps this is far enough?"

"Try nursing at her breasts that usually relaxes her all over," I suggest and Jack gets the hint and begins nuzzling my nipple. Oh that does feel good, I think while using my free hand to card through his hair.

Those sensuous lips begin to suckle at Terry's breast and he arches an eyebrow before beginning to slowly move his hips in further. And that stimulation brings Terry awake with a groan. Her eyes are glazed but her lips are tilting up almost immediately.

"And it just keeps getting better. Oh god, tell me you're in all the way." Her voice is breathless but her free hand is now stroking the Jaffa's cheek.

He lets her nipple fall from his lips, and smiles at her. "You have all of me, Terry. May I move?"

"Oh yeah," her grin is bright and she brings his lips closer. "Move and kiss, that's what I need right now, Teal'c."

It is definitely hot in here. I'd keep watching but Jack's nursing is having the desired effect and I turn my attention to him. Terry and I mutually let go of each other so we can attend to the beautiful men in our bed. I cradle his head in my hands and he moves up to my lips. Quite the kisser is our Jack, I decide, he may be even better than Teal'c. His hips are moving gently in and out, and the friction is warming me all over.

And when he does that corkscrew thing, I almost bite his tongue. Panting, I pull on his hair while he laughs at me, and does it again. And again . . . and again until I have to come. My ripples surprise him, I think and I feel the hot rush of seed for the first time. I've had a few male lovers but we always used condoms so this is a first for me in more ways than one.

My cycle is odd but I should be all right, I decide. If not, well, Terry and I can just be pregnant together. Jack's head is cradled between my breasts and I hold him in my arms while our lovers keep right on making love beside us. Teal'c has the stamina of ten and I'm pretty sure Terry doesn't even know how many times she's already come. She is a sweaty mess and I've never thought her more beautiful.

She comes with a silent cry and passes out again but this time, Teal'c stills and throws back his head. Jack sighs and reaches over to stroke his hip. "It's okay, big guy, I'm right here."

The Jaffa relaxes all over and subsides on top of Terry for a brief moment before he begins to back out. He takes his time but finally his cock is free and Jack pulls out at the same moment. I feel empty but also content. Scooting over to Terry, I tug her into my arms. Teal'c takes my place with Jack, and I watch them cuddle out of the corner of my eye.

"Hm-m, Janet," without even opening her eyes, Terry snuggles close. "That was intense, angel. I think we should practice that until we know for sure I'm pregnant."

"Good thinking, sweetheart." I drop a kiss on her blonde head. "Of course, we could just lie here and watch them make love, too."

Jack starts to laugh and Teal'c chuckles while we join in. Then Jack waggles his eyebrows at us. "Okay by us. You watch us and we'll watch you. Deal?"

I look down into laughing blue eyes then back at our men. "Deal. You go first."

Jack looks up at Teal'c and pulls back his legs. "In me, my own, reclaim your territory."

"My One," the big Jaffa leans in to kiss him while that monster cock slowly sinks inside of Jack.

"Wow," Terry whispers in my ear and I echo her exclamation. It's beautiful and so right between these two men who had to search a galaxy to find each other. I sniff back a tear or two and bring Terry up and over me so we can kiss.

We have our own long trip to celebrate. I wonder how long it will take to know if one or both of us is pregnant. Perhaps a whole new journey is now starting. 

*****************************************


	8. Chapter 8

********* Jack ********* 

I stroke my stomach while thinking about the future. Teal'c is on Chulak talking to his old friends Mel'tic and Gaal'c. I hope they want to come here and live. I'm dying to talk with someone who's already gone through the changes I'm going through. I can see my stomach curving outward more every day. I've got a little more breast now too although Janet hasn't measured me this week

The sun is warm on my skin and I wiggle a little deeper into the sand. I told Teal'c to come and find me in our cove when he got back. I seem to crave sunshine all the time and I think that is part of the Jaffa changes. I love the beautiful glowing chocolate skin of my mate and my tan is darker than it's ever been. Of course, it's all over, no tan lines for me or Teal'c.

We'll see if the pigment changes any more, I think sleepily. Stroking my stomach, I talk to my baby. "Your daddy is talking to old friends, little one. Then he's going to come home and make love to me right here on the beach. Well, not in the sand, that could be scratchy. We'll go into the water and do it there. Then we'll swim for a while so I can exercise different muscles. Then we'll take another nap since I sure do get tired easy these days."

I sip my decaf iced tea with the fruit slice on the glass rim. I'm kind of addicted to it now, and Sam and I both drink gallons. Home suggested it and the leaves of the gua'ange tree make up the tea while the fruit provides the garnish. I hope Teal'c brings back more of his bread starter. All six of us are addicted to that. Setting my glass aside, I curl up around my Teal'c scented pillow and take a little nap.

Soft kisses wake me up and I smile into the familiar taste. Opening my eyes, I see Teal'c glowing above me. "Hey, big guy, they coming?"

"They are thinking about it. Mel'tic would come now but Gaal'c has a duty to the summer palace guard. I spoke with Bra'tac and he will work on him." He pulls me closer and shifts the pillow to under my head. "How do you feel, my One?"

"Sleepy but my nap helped. I'm up for a swim if you want to?" I ask him hopefully and he chuckles before standing and pulling me up with him.

"I like swimming, my One. And swimming with you is even more fun." He strokes my stomach. "Perhaps only two miles today, O'Neill? I can help you exercise further when we return."

He quirks up an eyebrow and I melt. I am such a sap for my lover. "I'll hold you to that, my own. Race you."

We hit the water running and are soon sluicing through the greenish water out where the current runs cool. It's so invigorating and I feel charged with energy when we make the turn and swim a little slower back to shore. The moment our feet touch sand, Teal'c has me in his arms and his tongue in my mouth. I wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck so we're plastered together.

Nothing else feels this good and I revel in the tingling that races over my whole body. His big hands cup my cheeks and two fingers sink in where I need Big T. Wiggling free of his arms, I go down to all fours so he can fuck me. The moment when he sets his crown to my hole and starts to push is the moment I say thanks to every god I ever knew. How I went 46 years without knowing this bliss is a mystery.

The moment I saw him, I should have gone on my back. Who knew the power staff of the Jaffa wasn't his most potent weapon. His hands stroke my sides when he's all the way in and I ripple my muscles around him to let him know it's okay to move. Making love in silence makes everything feel like more. Not that a good noisy fuck isn't fun, too but somehow this feels more like the claiming we did that first day.

********* Teal'c ********* 

My One is concentrating on our lovemaking and I appreciate it. I am still humbled by his easy acceptance of our love. Why did I not know the moment our eyes first met that he would be my One? I know the gods measure time differently than we do and we did need that time to learn about each other. But now we are mated, I cannot imagine a life without him.

"Oh-h-h-h," he moans and squeezes so tight around me, my seed flows. "Teal'c."

I love the way he sighs my name. He is going limp and I bring him up so his arms can rest. Our child takes much of his energy these days and I must be ever watchful of his health. Mel'tic smiled a true smile when I spoke of O'Neill's conception of our child. His wistful look at Gaal'c may do what all my words could not.

Pulling out of his welcoming body, I pick him up and carry him to the small nest we've created for after our swims. The sun has moved enough so it's now in shade, and I lay him down gently before sitting myself.

"Tell me about your friends. Did Mel'tic talk about being pregnant?" O'Neill's eyes are sleepy but he's not yet ready for another nap.

"I asked him when he first felt him move and he said it was at three months." I pour some of the tea he and Samantha like so well, and hand it to him.

"Soon then." O'Neill strokes the bulge that seems to grow daily. "I wonder if there's some kind of Jaffa oil that would help my skin while it's stretching so tight over him."

Clearing my throat, I wonder why I feel a little shy. "Actually, I asked him that very question, and he said that he spread Gaal'c lubricating fluid every day over his stomach."

O'Neill's grin is slightly wicked. "I have to say the Jaffa are kinky, my own. But I think it's a really good idea." He sits up, lays his glass aside, and reaches for my shaft. "I'll be glad to help you prime the pump."

Gazing fondly at my One, I lean in to kiss him while his hands rub my shaft into releasing some of the slippery fluid we use for mating. His fingers have calluses that feel good against my skin but they feel good everywhere when he touches me. When his fingers are slick, he begins to rub it over his bulging middle. The slight numbing properties seem to be helping and he sighs a little, I think in relief. I must pay better attention to the clues his body gives me about how he is feeling.

Human males tend to suffer in silence, I've noticed. "We shall make sure we rub some in every morning and every evening."

"I'll smell like you all over, my own." He scoots closer, sits in my lap, and wraps his legs around my waist again. "Junior didn't get any of my come this morning or this afternoon so I think we should feed him just like this."

I chuckle and kiss him while my hand slides up and down his shaft. My symbiont trills in excitement and when the first pearls of seed squirt onto my stomach pouch, he's right there to lick it up. O'Neill sighs happily and goes back to scattering kisses over my cheeks, my eyes, my chin and finally my hungry lips. Our tongues mate languidly and when we clean up, we head back to our rooms.

Dinner is soon and Janet is making omelets.

********* Janet ********* 

Well, it is time. I drop the five drops of urine in the test tube and wait. Terry is holding her breath and when it turns blue; she squeals and hugs me tight.

"We did it. We did it." She kisses me hard then lets me go. "Do yours now. Let's see if we have a two base hit."

I grab my urine sample and another eye dropper. The second test stays pink. Terry groans but I feel nothing but relief. At 38, I really don't want the loss of control being pregnant would bring. "Sweetheart, it's better this way. I can concentrate on pampering you and I can really enjoy it."

She looks in my eyes, and sees the relief there before nodding slowly. "All right, if you're sure." Then her eyes began to dance. "Or we can ask for a repeat performance from the studly duo?"

I chuckle and kiss her smiling lips. That only gets better with practice. Her naturally sweet taste has tarted up a bit since she's mainlining the gua'ange fruit. When we break apart, I tuck a blonde curl behind her ear. "If you want a repeat, all you need to do is ask. I don't know about Jack now that his body is changing so radically but I'll bet Teal'c would be happy to oblige."

The former Colonel is moving a little slower than before and his stomach has rounded out so you can really tell he is pregnant. If he continues this way, he is going to lose sight of his feet by the time he hits the four month mark. I wish I could talk to some of the Chulak priests who deliver their males. Was Jack enough of a Jaffa to bear his baby safely their way or should I be reading up on caesarian sections?

"I wouldn't hurt Jack like that. It wouldn't be fair if all four of us can't play." Terry says with a little nod. "But it would be nice to have a celebratory fuck or three."

I comb my fingers through her hair. "Let's announce it at dinner. Then we can ask them privately if they're up for it."

Her nod and kiss are simultaneous and I pull her close to cradle her to my breast. "We're going to have a baby, sweetheart. Our family is going to grow even bigger."

"I can hardly wait to tell Sam. We'll have to go shopping on Earth for maternity clothes." Her busy brain is already making lists and I just let her talk while I daydream the changes coming up in her body.

Dinner is festive and Sam's hugs are heart felt. Danny asks the important question of who the father is and we have to admit we're not sure which of our male pair it is. Sam's eyes go a little glazed and Danny is back to looking like a fish. But then Sam declares a pampering day for all pregnant people and begins to plan what sounds like a trip to a spa. Luckily, Home already has several of those in place so we won't have to go far. It sounds like fun and we all enter into the planning.

After we leave the dining room, I stop Jack with our request. He looks at Teal'c and the Jaffa says he will do what ever his One wishes. That is so sweet and I can tell Jack is melting into a little puddle of goo. Then he nods and we go back to our rooms. It's a gentler romp this time. Tenderness prevails and we all kiss and caress whichever skin is closest.

Jack and I go together like bread and butter although we have to pile a couple of pillows under my back to get Jack at the right angle to slide into me because of his expanding stomach. I enjoy it even more if that's possible and I'm still quivering all over when Jack spoons behind me while Terry stretches around Teal'c. God that's hot, watching his monster cock slowly sink inside her. She's panting, and tossing her head back and forth on our green sheets, saying nonsense syllables interspersed with his name.

Her white skin glows next to his chocolate brown and when he starts to move, she comes hard right before her eyes roll back into her head. But he just keeps moving, and she starts awake before getting back into the rhythm when he alternates nursing at one nipple before moving to the other. Jack is gently pinching mine and I reach back to his cock to see if I can get him hard again.

But he seems to have never lost hardness, and he moves sideways so his stomach doesn't interfere with our movements, and slides back in. It's a gentle rocking in and out with his clever fingers stroking my clit until I come again and then again. His former wife must have mourned the day she lost him from her bed. Jack floods me with heat and I wonder if I should pick up some condoms when we go shopping.

I really am relieved not to be pregnant. I prefer pampering Terry and getting to be a mother without the pangs of childbirth. I am already cramping for my period though so today should be safe. I'm one of those women who get horny when they bleed so maybe I could talk Jack into helping out this month. Terry would enjoy Teal'c, although she might have to rest up from this bout.

I've lost track of how many times she's come. Teal'c finally finishes though, and she holds him between her breasts while he rests. Jack is napping while still inside of me and the big Jaffa is watching him with such a fond look. I'm glad we're all right with each other.

********* Jack ********* 

I'm a little nervous. Today is the day Mel'tic and Gaal'c come to visit. Teal'c visited them twice before they agreed to come and look Home over. Smoothing the light weight silk shirt over my stomach, I idly wonder if Sam and Terry will find something for me to wear while they shop in San Francisco. This shirt is the only one that still fits over my expanding stomach.

But I wouldn't change a thing. Sam is showing a little now but I feel huge. Getting up and down is becoming difficult with this basketball under my skin. I wish he would move. It's a couple of days over three months and I wonder if that means I'm going to go longer than six months. Janet says not to worry but she doesn't know any more than I do.

"My One," Teal'c's voice startles me and I open my eyes to see him standing between two absolutely beautiful Jaffa males. But he leaves them and comes to me at once, kissing me softly and taking my hand. "This is Mel'tic and Gaal'c."

Mel'tic is on the left and is wearing a blue loincloth with gold inlay while Gaal'c has on a green loincloth with silver trim. "Greetings, friends of my One. Welcome to our home."

"Greetings, O'Neill, thank you for inviting us." Mel'tic bows from the waist and Gaal'c does too. 

"We have refreshment waiting then we can show you our world." Teal'c's voice is liquid honey, and I lean into him when his arm goes around me.

We show them pretty much everything and even have Home transport us to the ocean cove so they can see the outside world. We're sitting on the blanket on the beach, sipping iced gua'ange when I get up the nerve to ask Mel'tic about his pregnancy.

"Mel'tic, I have questions about carrying Teal'c's child. Will it hurt you to speak of your experience?" I ask tentatively.

The Jaffa squeezes his mate's hand. "I would be honored to speak of this. How far along is the child?"

"95 days and he still hasn't moved yet."

"My child moved at day 88 but another friend had no movement until day 105. Each one is different and the fact you have human blood still will change the pattern." He smiles at me sweetly and we talk for hours.

Gaal'c and Teal'c leave us alone for a time and I ask him about my constant need for my Jaffa's big body. He laughs at that and tells a few tales of his own insatiable desire for his mate. I feel loads better when it's time to say goodbye. Truthfully, I tell them both that I hope they will immigrate to Home. New friends are always good to have, I say simply and Mel'tic gets a gleam in his eye that I'm pretty sure Gaal'c won't be able to say no to.

Teal'c hugs me tight and I get turned on, just like that. Scooping me up in his arms, he carries me back to our rooms and strips me bare. We can't make love face to face anymore since I'm getting so big. But he scoots up behind, his warm arms around me, and his tongue already licking away my sweat. Big T slowly surges in and I moan at the wonderful feeling of possession. When he's all the way in, I start the little undulations of my hips that move him in and out just enough to start me burning.

"Mel'tic likes you, my One. Gaal'c says he will come if only because Mel'tic wants another child so badly." His hands stroke over my expanding belly then up to my breasts to gently tweak my nipples.

I stretch and press back against his groin where Junior is busy licking away my sweat. "I like him, too. He made me feel a lot better about some of the changes coming. I'm enjoying this so much; I think everybody should be pregnant."

His chuckle is deep and I shiver at the wonderful sound. "You glow with good health, my One. Our son is growing and in his own time, he will move. We shall celebrate then."

"Hm-m," the rhythm speeds up a little and my cock gives a little jump before spurting all over the bottom of my belly. "Oh, that feels good, my own." 

He stops moving and begins to back out while I protest with a little moan. "Hush, my One, I merely move so I can come over your stomach. We didn't rub any of my seed in this morning."

I pout but let him out. Rubbing his seed over my stomach really does take the soreness from the too-tight stretched skin. Besides, Junior is trilling for my come and I hate to disappoint the little guy. Flat on my back, Teal'c kneels between my outstretched legs and takes himself in hand. Love watching him pleasure himself and when he explodes over me, I catch some of the tasty seed to satisfy my own cravings.

He is delicious. But those big hands are smoothing his seed into my skin and I help, our fingers meeting and tickling each other before going back to the sensuous anointing of our child's resting place. And that's when it happens, a tingle, just a tiny thing really. We stop and hold our breath. And there it is again, the smallest flutter beneath my skin.

I'm crying and laughing at the same time while Teal'c leans down and reverently kisses the spot. "My One, there are no words for this joy."

"He's . . . he's all right." I manage to stammer out. I've been so afraid that I'm too old or too scarred or too something to really carry our child. The little flutter comes again against his daddy's lips and I finally relax all over. It is going to be fine. "We're going to be fine."

"Yes, my One, our family is going to grow by one." He slides up beside me and enfolds me in his arms. "Everything is happening at its own time. Thank you, O'Neill, for taking this chance."

"I'd do it all over again and probably will." I snuggle close and hold him tight. "So far, except for being unable to get out of some of those low chairs, I've enjoyed every part of this pregnancy. Especially the being insatiable parts," I tease him with my mouth on those big brown nipples of his. 

His chuckle shakes both our bodies. "I like those parts, too. If there is anything you wish, my One, you must tell me so I can do it for you."

I sigh happily. "Nurse for a while, Teal'c. That makes me feel so good."

"Always, my One." He slides down a bit and gently begins to suckle at my right breast.

And I melt into a puddle the moment I feel the little squirt of liquid through my nipple. "Soon, it will be our son nursing there. Does the fluid change to milk when the baby is born? Remind me to ask Mel'tic."

"I shall, my One." He moves to the other one and I sigh again. It just doesn't get any better than this.

********* Samantha ********* 

Home says it's okay to come back to Earth for a shopping trip. She asked Earth to make sure we'd be all right and the newest sentient planet said it would be safe. Jack and Teal'c can't come with us since Jack is definitely showing his pregnancy. Danny came ahead and checked news reports through the Internet at the San Francisco Public Library. They reported on a series of odd incidents in parts of the United States and some of our allies. Natural disasters were all over the news.

Floods at Air Force bases; earthquakes over seas; and the worst for us, Cheyenne Mountain had imploded with a large loss of life and we mourned those we knew who might have died. Since it was military, no lists of the dead were available. Jack sent letters to old friends who might know more but they call it snail mail for a reason and so far the PO Box Danny set up hasn't have any replies.

But life goes on, and we decide to continue getting ready for our babies to be born. Which leads me to now.

Terry and Janet and I are having a blast shopping in San Fran. I'm on the lookout for something for Jack to wear as he expands. It's just so sweet to see Teal'c help him out of a chair now when he's getting so big in front. But at the moment, I'm shopping for me and trying on a pretty blue sun dress with an expandable panel while Terry is trying on one in green. Janet is watching us strip and redress with a smile.

Clothing at Home is definitely optional these days and I love going naked whether we're at the beach or in the mountain. Danny is a little shyer then me so he usually at least wears shorts. And Teal'c gets by with that skimpy little loincloth that barely covers that gorgeous cock of his.

Terry says it's to die for but I don't feel any urge to try it out. Danny satisfies all my needs and he always will. Still, it was sweet of the guys to help Janet and Terry out when they wanted to get pregnant. Although, Janet seems pretty relieved she isn't carrying. All her energy is going towards pampering her lover, and I think that's the way it should be.

We're really lucky we all found our true loves and a new home. After we leave here, we'll go to lunch. Everything here seems okay but who knows what is going on below the surface? Home seems to think everything is serene but we can't talk to Earth the way we can to her so who knows for sure?

And her idea of okay and our idea of okay may not be the same. I called Mom first thing when we hit our hotel this morning. She said everyone is fine and Dad is working on the old car he's been restoring since I was a teenager. I miss them so much but I don't know how to tell them all the changes in my life. Tentatively I asked her if I can visit and bring a friend. She said, of course I can.

So I guess when we go Home, I'll grab Danny and we'll go see my folks. I'm starting to show now so it's time to let them in on the addition to our family. If I know Mom, she's going to be planning the wedding the minute she sets eyes on me. Pulling my thoughts back to the dressing room, I spin slowly around before pulling the fabric tight over my stomach. I'm gently rounded and I wish I could feel him or her move like Jack can.

"Soon, baby girl, move for mama soon," I murmur and Terry hugs me close.

"She will, Sam, any day now she'll be kicking up a storm," she reassures me. "And soon after that, my little one will, too. We're so lucky."

I hug her back. "We're the luckiest women on any world, Terry. Let's get these. I want to try on one of those caftans. You too, since Jack is more your height."

Janet already has two of them in her hands. "Let me take the sun dresses, and you try these on."

I kiss her cheek. "Thanks, Janet. See anything else out there you like?"

But her eyes are on Terry in her lacy underwear and bra. "Just in here, Sam, everything I ever wanted is right here."

Terry's eyes glimmer at her. "Me too, Jan, everything and more."

Okay, now I'm brushing away a tear or two. Damn hormones, good thing Danny isn't here. He panics when I cry. I get the best back rubs then. Tonight I'm going to need a foot rub or three. I haven't walked on concrete in months and it's seriously hard on my feet. 

Pulling the caftan over my head, it shimmers down my body like the waterfall does. Whoa, this is seriously sensuous. It's one piece with simple slits for my arms. Silk really is a miracle fabric. I feel beautiful as I turn slowly in front of the mirror. Terry joins me shortly and the ice blue of her caftan matches her eyes. 

"Oh, we definitely have to get these. Jan, is there one in golden brown?" Terry is outlining her voluptuous body with her hands and the temp in the dressing room goes up by about twenty degrees. "Jack would look so good in gold."

"Absolutely beautiful, sweetheart." Janet takes her hand and kisses it tenderly. "I'll go check. I doubt they've got anything as beautiful as Teal'c's skin tones. But maybe there's something in a soft blue to go with the gray in his hair."

We both chuckle and gently remove the caftans, putting them in the keep pile. I still have a couple of dresses to try on and Terry does, too. I don't really like being away from Home or Danny so this trip will have to last us for a while. Maybe it's getting pregnant but I keep feeling the urge to nest. 

"Terry, I hate leaving Danny for so long. I've gotten used to us working together in the same office while he researches the First Ones, and I catalog all the disks we keep finding." I smile at the memory of quickies on his desk. "I get itchy if he's not nearby."

"I want to be with Jan all the time. When she's working in the medical center, I take along one of the readers and do more reading on the First Ones. It's a good thing Home figured out how to translate their symbols to ours. That's pretty satisfying and it means we can be together without getting on each other's nerves." 

She looks so pretty in a white halter top dress. "That's a great look for you, Terry."

"I feel like Marilyn Monroe."

"You look good enough to eat." I wink at her and try on the same dress but in a bright yellow. I don't fill it out like she does but I have noticed my breasts getting fuller, the further along in my pregnancy I get. "I think I'll get this one is every color they have. When something fits, go for it."

"Yeah, the way the waist ends just below our breasts means our tummies can get as big as they want, we'll still be able to get in them." She smiles and pulls hers off. "Now if the nursing bras aren't as uncomfortable as they look."

Janet had brought in a couple of different kinds and we try them on one at a time. The Anita Seamless bra is made from microfiber and fits my 34 B breasts just right. Even if I get a bit bigger, I think they'll be all right. Maybe I can get one in a C cup just in case. Terry is having a harder time but she's a big girl and needs more support than I do. Finally she decides on a Bravado model with a leopard design that goes really well with the thong underwear Janet also brought in.

I try on a pair and absolutely love the way the band snuggly fits under my belly. I am definitely going to get some of these. Danny is going to love them. Of course, lately I've just been going panty-less and he really likes that. Some of our best sex yet is when he slides his hand up under my dress and starts finger fucking me. Suddenly damp, I squirm a little.

"Horny?" Terry grins at me and slides her arms around me, her hands cupping my breasts. "Thinking about Danny?"

"Oh yeah," I wiggle a little and suddenly Janet is there, on her knees, pulling down my panties, and leaning in to tongue my clit. "Oh-h-h."

Terry slides around so she's kissing me with lots of tongue and I sprinkle in less time than it takes to tell it. I relax into her arms and kiss back. Danny is the only guy I want or need but it's fun to play with my female friends. When Janet stands, we share our own kiss and she chuckles.

"Come on, ladies. I think we need to buy out the store and go home for some afternoon delight." She licks her lips and Terry leans in to kiss her hard. 

That is so hot but right now I need Danny's cock so I get dressed hurriedly. It takes a while to check out but we use cash from Jack's account. I'm in the process of moving my account here to San Fran but his house sold so he's flush at the moment. As much as I'd like to eat at Fisherman's Wharf, I need Danny more.

We leave 'Stylin' Mamas' with vows to return soon. Terry is muttering about high prices and finding out where the fabric stores are here while Janet snickers and promises she'll find some for her. 

I look longingly at a children's clothing store next door but we're headed back to the hotel so I just whisper, "Later."

Now, I just need to get home and do some modeling for my darling man.

***********************************


	9. Chapter 9

********* Teal'c ********* 

At four and a half months, O'Neill struggles to stand up on his own from our chairs and even our bed. I think my behavior might be considered 'hovering' but I do not care if he does not. And he only holds out his hand for my help while smiling sweetly. My rewards are kisses and hugs with our son moving between us.

He has grown out of all his shirts and his shorts must sit below his swelling belly. But from their first shopping trip, Samantha brought back the most beautiful robes of shimmering silk and they fit him very well. He laughed when he saw the first one and said she'd found colors that match my skin and her eyes.

Then he looked at me and smiled. I could not help but hug him close and kiss him. The others laughed but I did not care. I am normally very careful of these robes they call caftans but Terry brought home many different kinds of fabric this morning from their latest shopping trip, and told O'Neill he could pick out several for new ones she will sew for him. One is the cinnamon of his eyes, and he nods in approval before picking out some gold silk that will flow over his body like water.

I like seeing him clothed in such sumptuous fabric but mostly I like him best naked. When I tell him this, he always laughs out loud and leans into my chest, his arms around my neck and his kisses soft on my lips. He still wants my shaft several times a day but now when I sink inside of him, our son begins to squirm and move. 

The first time it happened, we stopped making love but neither of us can be apart from the other, and Mel'tic explained it was not hurting him so we decided to simply enjoy it. Now we soothe him with our hands while my shaft moves inside my One slowly. Normally, I cradle him in my arms, his back to my front since he is too large for us to be face to face.

However, Mel'tic told me of another position that is possible, and I am going to try it today. O'Neill has an office near the control room where he spends, several hours each day, learning about the First Ones. I join him before lunch, and we eat with the others to share conversation and the knowledge we are acquiring. 

Then the two of us spend the rest of the day at the beach. The weightless feeling he gets while floating in the water helps soothe the aches in his body from the growth of our child. Sometimes Mel'tic and Gaal'c join us. Mel'tic is now pregnant again and his joy is good to see. Gaal'c smiles more frequently, and together we try to find new ways to please our mates and ease their path.

O'Neill is listening intently to one of the disks when I arrive. The door opening brings his eyes up to me, and his smile blooms immediately. "Teal'c, this is fascinating. You'll have to listen to it while I'm napping this afternoon."

"I shall do so, my One." Rounding the desk, I lean close to breathe in his scent. "How do you feel?"

"We're fine, my love," he struggles to rise from the chair, and I slide my arms around him to pull him into my arms. "Thanks, I feel like I'm carrying around a watermelon. Oh that feels good."

I rub his back and his little sigh of relief tells me I will need to massage him this afternoon. "You must tell me when you are in pain, my One. I like to touch your beautiful body." His scent is intoxicating, and his little moan fires my blood. "I need you, my One. Mel'tic says these desks are just the right height for making love."

He starts, and pulls back a little before that little gleam appears in his eyes. "Really? And just how did he find that out? A little trial and error with Gaal'c? I think we should do some testing of our own."

My laugh joins his, and I carefully pull his second caftan in rich blue over his head so he is beautifully bared to my sight. His skin has warmed to a golden tan, and his belly swells out in pleasing perfection. I lift him so he sits on the desk top then gently lean him back so he is flat, his stomach mounding above him. I kiss it gently and feel the little flutter of our son saying 'hello'. O'Neill stretches all over, and brings his legs up to pull me closer.

"Get Big T out of those shorts and into me, my own." His eyes sparkle, and I can scent his channel beginning to lubricate. "It's been two hours since you last took me, and I'm feeling terribly deprived."

My shaft springs free, and I bring his legs up over my forearms so the pressure is relieved from his aching back. Pulling him just to the edge of the desk, I set my crown to his hole and press slowly inside. He moans and opens sweetly to me, his hands clawing at the desk top while he starts to pant.

"You have me, my One." I am all the way inside his sheath, and he is still so tight around me even after all these months of making love.

"So good, Teal'c, you always feel so right inside me." His eyes glow, and his lips smile up at me. "Now, move and warm your son and me."

I begin to move in and out of his clutching channel, and our son begins to move with me. O'Neill is laughing, his hands stroking the rippling mound between us while I chuckle, and wish I could spare my hands to help. But they are needed on his hips to keep him from skating over the desk top. When I see him shiver, I speed up and release hot gouts of seed deep within him while he spurts between us.

"Oh, that feels so good, my own. That's what I crave the most," he stretches his arms out, and arches his back. 

My symbiont is trilling while vacuuming his stomach for seed. I rest within until his stomach growls, and I pull gently from him. He props himself up on his elbows, and grins at me.

"Well, Mel'tic is right. These desks are definitely the right height." He holds out a hand, and I pull him upright. "Now, I'm thinking about the low table in our outer room. Me on my back and you on your knees, sliding into me?"

"We shall experiment tonight, my One." I promise him before reaching for his caftan. He is shivering again, and this time it must be with cold. "Tomorrow I will bring a blanket to lay on your desk first."

He kisses my cheek. "I love the way you take care of me, my own. It is a little chilly here. The beach will be so nice and warm after lunch."

The others join us for lunch. Mel'tic cooks for all of us now, his skills far surpass any of our talents in the kitchen. But all of us have given him our favorite recipes so he surprises us each day with something different. We never know which kind of meal he will fix but so far they are always delicious.

Home transports us to the beach and O'Neill lays down for a nap at once, squirming around on the blanket until he is comfortable with his head on my thigh. I listen to the disk he wanted me to hear, and wonder at the far ranging plans of the First Ones. Why did they not return to this beautiful world? What or who kept them from finishing what they started?

We might never know but so long as Home keeps watch for us, I truly do not care. My whole focus is on my One and our child. 

********* Jack ********* 

Five months into this pregnancy and I feel like I swallowed a beach ball. I'm so fat, I can hardly believe it. I'm bony thin except for this . . . this mound growing out my front. He's going to be a soccer player, that's all there is to it. The kicking lasts for hours before he finally falls asleep, and gives me some rest. I'd stay submerged but Janet doesn't think that's good for him. 

Teal'c is so great. He's patient when I'm cranky, and loves me so well when I need it. I always need him. That touching, skin tasting thing is as strong as ever. I'm waddling, I just know it but my Jaffa shakes his head, and declares me the most graceful person he knows. Ha, he's a flatterer but I'll take his compliments any day of the week.

"Jack, you've got mail." Danny's voice interrupts my musings and I look up from my desk. "Six replies from all over."

"Good, I was beginning to wonder." I squirmed upright from where I'd been slouching in the comfy chair Janet found in an office supply store on Earth. The cubes the First Ones sat on weren't made for pregnant people.

Taking the envelopes, I sort them by handwriting. Ah, good there is one from Gibbs in DC and Flinders in Mexico City. I open Gunny's first and start reading. "Gibbs is NCIS out of DC," I tell Danny absentmindedly while skimming ahead. "He says the number of missing subs is still only two but the sailors all appeared in Florida suffering from hypothermia. More suicides than normal and that really pisses him off."

"He sounds like a stickler for discipline." Danny perches on the edge of my desk.

My smile is fond. "He has rules for everything and, woe betide, anyone who breaks any of them. He wants to meet and I'd dearly love to but it will have to wait until Sebal'c is born. I don't want to be responsible for Gibbs having a heart attack."

"You chose a name!" Danny claps my shoulder and grins. "What kind of combination is it?"

"Sebastian for my father and Teal'c's sire Raal'c," I blush just a bit but my pride is showing I just know it. "I don't know what my dad would say about me being a mother but I like to think he'd accept it after the initial shock. If Raal'c was still alive he'd probably be shocked by his son bedding an alien but hopefully, he'd accept his grandson."

"You're still sure it's a boy." He shakes his head fondly.

"I know it's a boy." I smile and open Flinders' letter. "I'm dreaming him every night. Just like I know you're having a little girl, Danny. Any names chosen yet?"

It's his turn to blush. "I picked up some more name books this morning when I got the mail. I don't really want to use any family names. That almost always leads to bad feelings and Sam's parents are still being a bit standoffish."

I put the letter down and grasp his arm. "I thought the wedding smoothed everything over?"

His mouth turns down a bit. "Yes and no. It means we're legal but her mom still thinks I got Sam in trouble and only married her because of the baby. Her dad just doesn't think much of having a 'translator' as a son-in-law."

"You think taking off some masks and showing them the truth would help?" I offer.

"Maybe," he looks like a whipped puppy.

"It's not like they can hurt us, Danny. Maybe showing them Home would relieve their minds, and reconcile them to Sam's choices. Think about it for now."

He leans down, and hugs me before leaving with a wave. I shake my head. "Home, could you tell Sam I'd like to speak to her when she has a moment? No hurry."

//soon// her mental hug is warm and I smile

Flinders' letter talks about several 'research' facilities being destroyed in extremely selective earthquakes. Barnes from Cairo says sandstorms destroyed three towns in the desert. Cindy Lou Kerry writes one of her Valley Girl letters from New Delhi. She makes me laugh every time and I'm still snorting when Teal'c comes to get me for lunch.

"What is funny, my One?" He asks after kissing me silly.

I smooth my hands over his chest, and lean in to smell his gleaming skin. Then I have to taste it to make sure it's still as delicious as ever. It's a moment before I remember he asked a question. "Some of the letters I got are pretty funny – in a macabre sense. It looks like Mother Earth really cleaned house in a 'nature attacks' kind of way. Earthquakes, floods, landslides – she pretty much did it all. Cheyenne Mountain appears to be the worst hit – well, the most dead anyway."

"I am sorry for your loss, my One." His voice is deep and rumbly. "I know you knew almost everyone there."

"Yeah, it's sad but towards the end there, it was like I didn't really know any of them." I sigh and cuddle closer. "Everybody was acting strange from the General on down. Only the teams seemed the same and if our Stargate is gone then they're all stuck on which ever world they were on when the mountain imploded. I wish there was a way to send a message to everyone."

"The gate on Chulak is still operational." He reminds me.

"Hm-m, that's true," I lean in harder while he rubs my lower back. "Home, do you think Earth is fully awake now?"

//yes, my bright ones// Home sounds so joyful

"What do you think about sending the pillar to Chulak to wake up the Jaffa world?" I thought of this earlier but so much was going on I'd put it aside. "Teal'c can go get a rock from his old world to use as a locator then we'd have a world with a working Stargate but which could be watched for interference."

//hm-m-m-m// her hum is abstracted as if she is talking to others at the same moment

"It is a good thought, my One." Teal'c's smile is my favorite one.

Our son decides to practice his kicking at the moment, and I cradle him with both hands. "You're bruising me, little one. How about we go for a swim so you can relax?"

Without even hesitating, Home moves us to our beach. It's nice and sunny on my skin, and Teal'c helps me take off my caftan. With a little wiggle, he's out of his shorts and I get to feast my eyes on his beautiful body.

"My One, you are more beautiful each day." He has to be kidding but his eyes speak nothing but truth. His big hands slowly map my belly. "You hold our son safe within you. I am blessed by your great heart."

I sniff a little – damn hormones. "I'm fat, Teal'c."

"Nay, my One, you are beautifully rounded with our child. I am glad he quit growing last week. Janet says he readies his internal organs in preparation for being born." He kisses my lips and I lean into him. His kisses are even better now that my body has acclimated to being part-Jaffa.

"Just a few more weeks and he'll be ready to come out. Mel'tic says the pain is bearable but sharp for several hours. There weren't any complications and that's good." That is the closest I can come to telling him how worried I am about giving birth with my hybrid body.

He leads me down to the water, and we wade out far enough for me to float while he stays by my side. "I believe the changes in your body are sufficient to bring our son forth safely for both of you. Janet is watching you carefully, and so is Home. I do not believe the Gods would be so cruel to take either of you from me."

I hold onto him tightly. "From your lips to all the gods' ears."

********* Teal'c ********* 

Each day passes slowly but perfectly. I spend all my time with O'Neill so I am there when he needs something. Our son is using up my mate's energy with his growth. I can feel his fear about giving birth, and I have some of my own worries. Mel'tic gave us his memories about birth with Gaal'c chiming in with his - a few hours of pain then a healthy baby boy. I silently vow to myself to be there for every moment.

Janet listened to my friends and also traveled to Chulak to speak with others who gave birth over the last decade. O'Neill and Terry fretted over her safety so Home and Earth got together, and decided to wake up my birth world. Within the space of a week, another planet joined them in sentience. Their Stargate is temporarily disabled although there was no evidence of tampering on my former world.

Still, better safe than sorry, Samantha says with a grin. She is showing also, and beginning to slow down. Oddly enough, Terry has also ballooned in size. She and Janet are currently on Earth getting her an ultrasound. They return tonight, and I look forward to learning the sex of their child.

"Teal'c, I need up again." O'Neill sounds aggrieved but that is because he released his water five minutes ago. 

I steady the hammock we secured to two of the palm trees at the beach's edge, and help him out of its comfortable weave. He moves into the underbrush, and urinates before coming back. He's mumbling about sadistic babies who delight in lying on their mama's bladder, and I must smile at the gentleness in his strokes to our son versus his words.

"Let me massage your back, my One. Sometimes that helps," I offer and hold the hammock steady for him. He sinks into it with a little sigh of relief.

"Please, Teal'c, it feels like he's turned around and is busy kicking my spine out of alignment." His look is heartrending, and I slip next to him so I can reach the spots on his back which are usually the sorest.

Our silence is calm and contemplative. It is a form of meditation I taught him early in our love, and we practice it every day now. Home links to us some of the time, and we roam our new world with her while she sees to every aspect of her surface. We've watched storms rage across one of the three continents; new flowers opening in a field of yellow grasses; the first snow of the season high in a mountain range far from us; a flood overflowing the banks of a deep green river; a forest fire burning hot for almost a day.

Home shares herself with us, and asks only our own sharing of our memories and lives.

"Teal'c, should we offer to bring SG3 here to Home or just transport them to Earth?" O'Neill's voice has a tinge of worry to it. "I think Dick Reynolds would be okay with us. I don't know Johnson, Wade or Morrison that well."

"We can bring them here to show them our world then let them make up their own minds." I offer this solution. "Christopher Wade was always friendly to me in our past meetings."

He twists his head, and shoots a squinty eyed look at me. "I notice you don't say anything about the others. Why is that?"

"I did not interact with many outside of our team, O'Neill. I met with them sometimes in the gym or the mess hall and occasionally in briefings with the other teams." I still do not wish to reveal some of the more xenophobic encounters I had then. They are in the past, and our future looks very bright right now.

"Hm-m," he wiggles back against me. "Danny tells me you had some problems with some of the crew."

"The Jaffa are not universally liked in the galaxy." I lick that spot behind his ear that makes him shiver.

His chuckle makes me smile. "As shocking as that statement is I do understand, my own. Let's have Danny invite them after the baby is born. I don't have the energy for all the explanations. I just want our family around us when I give birth."

"We shall all be here, my One." I kiss his neck, and our hands go back to smoothing our child back to sleep. And within moments, he sleeps also while I watch over them both.

Janet and Terry do not return until after dinner. Mel'tic made a hearty soup with many of our new world's vegetables. It is very good with the addition of a combination of Earth and Chulak spices. We are still mopping our bowls with fresh bread when the pair of them teleport into the dining room.

"Guys," Terry throws her arms around me while Janet hugs O'Neill. "We're having twins."

"Wow," Jack blinks and returns Janet's embrace. "Twins? I don't think there are any in my family."

"The Jaffa have never recorded the birth of two before." I squeeze Terry gently and she grins up at me.

"My family has two pair a couple of generations back," she tells us in between the others congratulations.

"I've got a theory," Janet winks at O'Neill.

He groans. "And you're going to tell us, aren't you? Have you eaten yet? We have soup and bread."

"We celebrated at Fisherman's Wharf. The babies wanted shrimp," Janet says with as straight a face as she can manage. Lately, any food cravings have been blamed on the babies. "And yes, you do get to hear my theory. I think Home made sure that each twin has a different father. So we'll see if I'm right a few months from now."

O'Neill's mouth drops open before snapping shut. Our eyes meet, and I can see the joy in his match the emotions in mine. "Well, we will certainly look forward to that. It will be nice for our son to have a couple of half-brothers or half-sisters."

"They're both boys." Terry said with a smile. "Next time, we're going for girls."

Samantha hugs them both while the conversation flows back and forth. More clothing is needed, the women decide, so more shopping trips are soon planned. O'Neill is content to lie in my arms and watch them excitedly plan for double the babies we thought Terry carried.

********* Janet ********* 

Jack's six month checkup is going well. The baby's heartbeat is regular, and everything I can check without actually seeing him appears to be fine. Poor Jack looks like he swallowed a watermelon, and I know he's been uncomfortable for the last three months. But he just jokingly complains about his bladder and the constant backache. Teal'c spends every moment with him, and I enjoy seeing their love deepen right in front of me.

I've done all the research I can, although it doesn't feel like enough. Jack is still mostly human with a few interesting Jaffa additions like the lubricating fluid in both his penis and anal canal. His nipples are already leaking milk or nutritive liquid as Teal'c calls it. How the hell the baby is going to exit Jack's body is the $1,000,000 question. If something doesn't change in a big way, we could lose both mother and child.

"He's doing fine, guys. His heartbeat is strong and slowing down. That usually means it's almost time to come out." I take a deep breath. "Mel'tic says once your nipples start producing milk, the way they did yesterday, birth time is close."

Jack is leaning against Teal'c, his hands rubbing the little kicker. "That's good, Janet, I'd like my old body back. He's getting so big, he needs more room to play."

Teal'c's gaze is solemn when it meets mine. "Will O'Neill's channel be big enough to birth our son?"

"I don't know. The human body is an amazing work of art. Jack's hormones have been getting ready for this event for six months. His Jaffa attributes may come to the fore, and prepare him even more. I'd like to check the membrane manually again and get another picture to compare to the ones from each month's exam.."

His grimace is swift but he nods, and Teal'c helps him lay down on his side. Snapping on a pair of latex gloves, I pause for a moment. "Can you produce some lubricant, Jack, or should I use some KY jelly?"

Teal'c leans down and kisses him. Within a few moments, Jack gestures for me to go ahead while they continue kissing. I feel the membrane and take a snapshot with the flexible camera and light I'd brought with me from Stargate Command. So now, I insert the probe and gently ease it into place.

"Oh wow!" I look through the eyepiece, and see the different color and size of the membrane. It's turning a deep purple. "It's bigger, almost six centimeters bigger. It looks like your body is definitely getting ready, Jack. Let me get a sample of the fluid, too."

I've got a swab and test tube ready so when I remove the probe, I go right back in with my q-tip and get a sample of his inner fluid. The slight numbing properties of the lubricant is supposed to change to something even slipperier and stronger to aid in the child's birth.

Finally I'm done and we all breathe a sigh of relief when I step away to my lab table, and the microscope waiting there. I give them as much privacy as I can while Teal'c helps Jack get redressed in one of the pretty caftans Terry sewed up for all our pregnant members. I've got comparison samples of fluid from Mel'tic, and two other Jaffa from Chulak. One of whom is very close to giving birth also.

"Oh good, your fluid is definitely changing to almost birth levels of numbing agent." Turning back to them, I see twin smiles of relief. "I'd like you to stay here in the mountain, Jack. No gallivanting off to the beach. I want you right here where we can all keep an eye on you. According to the stories, I've collected from Chulak, when birth starts it begins and ends quickly. I want you here so we can monitor you."

"It shall be as you wish, Janet," Teal'c says solemnly. "My One, we can swim in the waterfall pond."

"That may be a good place to give birth, too," I suggest. "On Earth, water births are growing in popularity. They're easier on the mother and the child is welcomed into a world of warmth and fluid like the sac he's been living in since conception."

Jack's eyebrow goes up but then he nods slowly. "I think I'd like that, Janet. Unless it interferes with the fluid's numbing effect. The gods know I'll need all the numbing I can get when the pain starts."

Teal'c just holds him closer. "If I could, I would take the pain myself, my One."

Jack's smile is so sweet. "I know, my own, I know. But you'll be right there beside me every step of the way. And soon we'll hold our son in our arms."

I cross my fingers. Everything has to go all right. I refuse to lose one of my best friends and the father of 'maybe' one of my children. 'Home, watch over us.'

************************************


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cross-over alert!

********* Jack ********* 

We're walking down the main hall when I suddenly feel a hard cramp. I stop dead and hold my breath.

"My One?" Teal'c stops too, and cocks his head at me.

Another cramp hits, and I want to double over. "I think . . . oh damn . . . Home, please tell Janet to find us."

And with a pop, my doctor is by my side. "Jack! Oh boy, is it time?"

"Ow-w-w," I give up trying to stay cool, and hold onto Teal'c's arm hard enough to leave bruises. "Oh yeah, it's time. Sebal'c is impatient all of a sudden."

"Okay, remember the breathing we've been doing?" Janet takes my other arm, and we head towards the cavern holding our favorite waterfall and pool. "I want you to practice those nice deep breaths for me."

So I do, and it helps just long enough for another cramp to seize my belly, and take all my breath away. Teal'c's other arm is around my waist now, and its warmth is something I can focus on through the pain. 

"Janet, I take back everything I ever said that was even remotely humorous about giving birth." Gritting my teeth, I wait through another contraction before resuming our walk down the suddenly long corridor.

"On behalf of women everywhere, I appreciate that, Jack." Her smile is wide, and I chuckle. "We should digitally record your birth for prosperity."

"Wrong, Janet, that's just so wrong," I grimace again, and wonder why the cramps seem to be speeding up. "Why is this happening so fast? Shouldn't there be more time between contractions?"

"You're writing a whole new chapter, my friend." Janet triggers the door, and the warmer air lets me relax a little. "The sooner you dilate, the sooner Sebal'c will come out. I'm going to check you the moment we're in the water, Jack. Hold on and don't go in too deep. I'll be on my knees at some point."

This time, my whole body seizes, and I just want to curl up and die. My panting isn't getting enough oxygen into my lungs. That contraction ends, and almost immediately another one starts. Teal'c strips me quickly, guiding me into the warm waters of the pool. That helps a little, and I float in the water for almost a minute before the cramps hit again. Janet is between my legs now, and her fingers are sliding into me without any trouble at all.

"Whoa, you've widened significantly. The membrane is beginning to tear." She keeps us informed of the changes while I pant through the continuous contractions. "I can feel his head, sweetheart."

I'm panting and seizing up while Teal'c holds me safe and keeps me afloat. There's definitely a tearing feeling now like nothing I've ever felt before. It hurts worse than the knife wound I got on P4S36. A cloud of blood suddenly blooms in the water, and I can feel our son shift down a little further.

"Okay, Jack, you're doing great." Janet puts her hand back up my channel. "His head is almost all the way through the membrane. He's got hair."

I have to laugh although it's a poor thing. "Well . . . we . . . know . . . he's . . . got a . . . little human . . . in him."

"My One," Teal'c has tears in his eyes when they gaze down at me. "You are the bravest man I have ever met."

"Argh!" I'm too busy spasming all over to acknowledge his compliment. Right about now I should be yelling at him but I only have enough energy to pant. The head must be finally through because I have this urge to push really hard.

"Wait, Jack, no pushing just yet. His shoulders have to slip through first or the tearing will be even worse." Janet has both hands inside of me now and that should hurt but damned if I can feel it at all amongst the other pain. "He's doing great, Jack, and so are you."

The pain is in waves now, washing over me like a high tide and swamping me in a morass of red-hot lava. My skin is prickling all over as if to let steam escape through my pores. My hands are clutching my belly, and it feels like the baby is going to explode out of my belly button. There's just pain and more pain and I can feel myself go gray around the edges.

"Almost there, Jack, when I say push, go for it." Janet's voice is soothing. "I know it hurts, but you're doing great. Let yourself move with the contractions. He's almost ready."

Time doesn't have any meaning at the moment. It feels like I've been torn in two for hours now. I'm whimpering almost continuously while Teal'c holds me close, and says my name in a deep whisper that helps keep me focused.

"Okay, Jack, it's time to push." Janet's hands do something inside of me, and I gather my energy to push.

********* Teal'c ********* 

O'Neill pushes so hard, he almost slips from my grasp. His face is a mask of pain, and I wish with all my heart I could take it from him. But he collapses back into my arms, and continues panting.

Janet is on her knees between his legs with both hands inside my mate. "Good one, Jack. A couple more of those, and Sebal'c will be screaming up a storm. Push again for me, sweetheart. And let go of that yell you've been holding onto."

So O'Neill gathers his strength for another push. This time he screams out loud, and the sound echoes through the still air, drowning out even the waterfall. His whole body convulses, and the mound that is his stomach begins to deflate.

"Yeah!" Janet's shout of triumph is good to hear. "It's a boy."

But even better is the sight of our son, covered in blood and birthing fluid. She holds him up, laying him on O'Neill's stomach. My mate gathers him close, and begins to clean away the fluid from his face. His fingers look so big next to his tiny form. Janet is talking to Home about bringing her some instruments but I can concentrate on nothing but my mate and our child.

"Welcome to the world, Sebal'c." O'Neill's voice is hoarse. "We're awfully glad you're here."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Terry arrive and hand Janet something metallic. Then I watch as the doctor cuts the umbilical cord, and ties it in a knot near Sebal'c's stomach. "There we go, angel. Jack, do you want to deliver the afterbirth here or on dry land?"

"Here's good, Janet." My mate looks up long enough to smile at her. "You did a great job, my friend."

"You did all the work, Jack. Two hours of hard labor isn't bad for a Jaffa birth." She smiles at us both.

"Thank you, Janet, for helping us through this ordeal." I go back to feasting my eyes on our son.

"Is that all it was – two hours? Oh," O'Neill grimaces, and shivers deeply in my arms. "Okay, that feels weird."

Something bloody exits his body, and Janet quickly asks Home to transport it to her lab. "Just the afterbirth, Jack. Your membrane is going to seal itself now, and slowly your body will tighten up all over. No love making for two weeks, gentlemen. Everything needs some time to heal."

O'Neill nods distractedly, his attention back on our son. "Sure, we'll be careful. Oh, Teal'c, look he has your eyes."

Our son is blinking, and his eyes are indeed the same brown as mine. "But his hair is yours, my One."

"He's beautiful, guys. You make great babies." Terry congratulates us.

My smile shall not cease for some time, I fear. "Thank you both for your support. Soon it will be our turn to support you."

Terry wrinkles her nose. "I'm hoping for only two hours of labor, too."

Janet chuckles and kisses her mate on the lips. They are well matched, and I am glad we could help them create a family for their own.

"Oh, he's going to sleep, Teal'c." O'Neill's whisper brings my attention back to him.

"I think we should probably leave the water now, guys. He needs to get measured, weighed, and dressed. He's tired, and so are you, Jack. After your nap, we'll introduce him to the rest of our colony." Janet's practicality is just what I need to begin moving.

Gathering O'Neill into my arms, I wade out of the warm waters that welcomed our son. "Home, please move us to our rooms."

//new light// she is humming happily, and does as I request

The temperature is higher than normal, and I am glad when O'Neill shivers in my arms. I grab the robe at the foot of the bed to dry him off before I lay him down gently, and cover him up. His eyes close almost as quickly as our son's did. I deftly take our son from his grasp, and hand him to Janet so she can do what she has to do. Taking off my wet shorts, I dry myself quickly and redress hastily.

"Here you go, Teal'c. Sit down by Jack." Janet hands me Sebal'c after I'm seated on the side of the bed. "He's fifteen inches long, and weighs 4 and a half pounds. That's long for a Jaffa baby and a good weight for his size. When he wakes up, he'll probably want to nurse. If Jack has any problems, let me know. But I think the three of you will do just fine."

She drops a kiss on my head and leaves. I marvel at the small being cradled in my hands. His skin is a beautiful shade of gold like O'Neill's. He's like a miniature doll but I can feel his heart beating. He is dressed in one of the small outfits Terry sewed out of flannel, and the warmth of the material must feel good to him since he is stretching and wiggling. I feel my mate awaken.

"He's so small." O'Neill blinks and pushes himself up higher on the pillows. Holding out his arms, he accepts our son with a look of awe. "He felt one hell of a lot bigger coming out." 

"Your body had never experienced birth before." I crawl under the blanket with him, and cradle them both in my arms. "Perhaps one child is enough for us to raise."

His chuckle wakes up our son, and big brown eyes gaze up in wonder at us. His little arms wave and his lips purse twice while we watch. O'Neill takes a deep breath, and switches his position so the baby's mouth is right over his nipple.

"Oh," my mate sighs when Sebal'c latches onto him. "That feels so good. He's a ferocious eater like his papa."

I have tears in my eyes again. Nothing is more beautiful than our son nursing at his mother's breast. "Jaffa appetites are well known throughout the galaxy. If he keeps this up, he'll grow big before the month is out."

He chuckles again, and leans his head against my chest. "I'm still holding out for six, Teal'c. Each one will be a little easier to birth. And except for the last month or so, I loved being pregnant. Thank god I fell in love with you, the only man who could give me my heart's desire."

"My One," I hold him close. "We are the luckiest men in the galaxy."

********* Gibbs ********* 

It's good to hear Jack's voice on the phone. "Gibbs, can we meet? I've got a lot to tell you."

"When and where?" I reach to turn off my computer.

"We're already at your place. I see you still don't believe in locking your doors." He sounds distracted. "There are three of us. Anyone from your team coming?"

I look up and see a quizzical look from across the bull pen. "My second in command, DiNozzo."

"Oh yeah, the sexy one," Jack's voice teases me.

"None of that, boyo," I use my Marine voice, and he just laughs.

"An hour, Jethro, I've got a surprise for you." Then he hangs up.

I snort, he always has to have the last word. "DiNozzo, you're with me. McGee, find me a way into the perp's bank account or his email server. He had to talk about the crime or pay for it."

Hesitating, I pull my gun and holster it. Better safe than sorry. Tony does the same across from me, and he's at my side when I stride towards the elevator. The sexy one, yeah, Tony is definitely that. Now if I only had the courage to do something about it. I've dithered for two years now, and nothing gives me the shove I need, not even almost losing him to the plague. 

"This the friend who maybe has some answers?" His voice is neutral, and that bothers me.

"Hopefully. He said he has a surprise." I wait until we're in my car. "He works or worked for a secret government agency. We've known each other for a long time and five years back . . ." I pull out of my parking slot and head towards home. "Well, let's just say I saw some pretty weird things that I can't explain. If ever there was someone who could explain the arrival of 316 sailors to a beach in Miami, it's him."

I smile nostalgically, thinking about the weirdness. "He's a close friend."

Tony wrinkles his nose, and looks sideways at me. "How close is . . . close?"

"We tell each other the truth or we don't talk at all." I do a little looking of my own.

"I see." He nods slowly but that little wrinkle between his eyes stays there.

What I wouldn't give to smooth it out, and trace the slightly pursed lips with my tongue. Putting my attention back on my driving, I race home. The sooner we get there, the sooner I can get some answers. And the sooner I can make a decent pot of coffee. The shit at work is truly awful. There are days when even I can't drink it.

There's no car in front of my house. But when I turn off the motor, Jack's figure appears at my front door. He looks good – really good, and I wonder at his tan and youthful look. All the lines of worry are gone, and he practically glows. He gathers me into a hug the minute he's close enough, and his strength surprises me.

"Long time, no see, Jethro. And this must be Tony," Jack holds out his hand, and shakes DiNozzo's. "Good to finally meet you. I put the coffee on, and it should be ready about now." He turns around, heading inside, and raises his voice. "Teal'c, they're here."

A tall, husky black man with a gold tattooed forehead stands in the kitchen doorway, holding a baby in his arms. I blink, I thought he'd have that scientist, Jackson, or maybe a member of his team with him. Jack joins him, and takes the baby expertly into his arms. "Gibbs and DiNozzo, meet my mate, Teal'c." 

Teal'c bows to us and I manage a nod while Tony returns the bow. My subordinate is finally smiling. "From Chulak, I presume? It's a pleasure to meet you both. What the hell happened to the Stargate?"

Stargate? My gaze goes back and forth between them. "What is going on, Jack?"

My old friend's eyes are crinkling up. "Tony, you've got family or friends in the program?"

"Team 14, my cousin Tom Bartolini is a member." Tony nods. "The coffee smells ready. Why don't we sit down and have some? I'm betting the explanation is going to be a long one."

"Yep, it certainly is. Come on, Jethro, we'll explain all the cryptic stuff for you." Jack winks at me.

Sitting around my kitchen table, I listen spellbound to the tallest tale I've ever heard. But to top off the saga, Jack actually unbuttons his shirt and nurses the baby. The baby he carried for six months for his mate. Who also unbuttons to show me his pouch holding a baby snake. I need liquor and I need it now. Tony seems to understand, and gets up to get the bottle of bourbon from the cupboard by the sink.

How did he know where I keep it? I'll ask him later. Right now, I'm trying to come to terms with all Jack has told us. The first sip goes down smooth, and I begin to relax a little. "Okay, I've got a few questions. Our planet is now sentient? She took action against some kind of alien invasion? And the suicides we've been investigating are most likely alien clones or something?"

Jack is burping the baby so Teal'c answers. "This is mostly correct, Gibbs. We think there were some actual aliens involved but also mind control of humans."

"Otherwise, Ducky would have noticed an alien on his autopsy table." Tony nods his head, and sips his coffee. "So Cheyenne mountain is gone and the Stargate is unworkable. How are the teams who were out-planet going to get home?"

Jack grimaces. "We're working on that. Some of them want to stay where they are if their families can join them. Most of the civilizations they've been studying have offered them sanctuary. Some want to come home to Earth. We'd like to offer some of them a place on our planet."

"My cousin will want to come home – to Earth. His big Italian family will be devastated if he doesn't," Tony says quietly, and I wonder why that wistful look crosses his face. "I'd love to see Home. She sounds like a sweet lady."

I freeze with my coffee cup halfway to my mouth. He wants to leave me?

Jack grins at me. "We'll arrange a trip for the two of you. I'll even show you the beach where Teal'c and I fell in love. Maybe you can finally do something about the love you're both hiding from each other."

"Both?" Tony's voice is a squeak but the hopeful look in his eyes when they turn to me makes my heart start beating again. "Boss?"

I gulp hard and take a chance. "Yeah, Tony, I've been love with you for the last two years."

"Me, too," his yearning look has me setting down my coffee cup so I can reach for him instead.

As first kisses go, it's a doozy. His heat and light mix together with the sweetest taste I've ever known. His little moan or maybe it's mine rises between us, and I need more.

********* Jack ********* 

My nose for arousal never fails these days. Leaning into Teal'c's shoulder, I watch one of my oldest friends finally take a chance. Three failed marriages had only taught him caution. Now maybe he can learn joy. Sebal'c is dozing against my skin, my nipple still in his mouth.

He's a voracious eater, and takes all meals extremely seriously. But the month since his birth has seen him add three inches and one pound, so I am happy with his progress. Every day is a joy since he was born. From almost the very beginning, he slept the night through so I am a bit smug about how good he is. Of course, with our enhanced senses, Teal'c and I would hear him two rooms away if he did awake. We spend almost every moment of the day with him. 

Soft lips at my temple bring my eyes up to my beautiful mate. His smile brightens this kitchen before he takes my lips in our own fervent kiss. Thank all the gods we can make love again. Janet checked at our two week checkup and my membrane had healed from the tearing. We'd gone right home to celebrate. I was going crazy without my big Jaffa coming inside of me. Oral sex is great but it just doesn't satisfy all my cravings for his strong body.

Damned if it didn't feel like the first time all over again. I was so tight we'd literally had to go through the whole stretching thing again. But that was fun too, and I promised him I'd become a virgin for him again after every baby. He thanked me sincerely before tickling me into coming.

Just thinking about making love is making me leak into my boxers. I hadn't worn this many layers in months. But Jethro and Tony have broken apart to breathe, and it's time to finish up this first talk. "Guys, we're happy for you. How about you take the rest of today to fuck like bunnies? We'll come back tomorrow to answer more questions."

Gibbs is actually blushing. I want to snicker so badly but I heroically hold it in. He manages a nod while Tony just beams at everybody. Oh yeah, bunnies it is.

"Good luck, guys. Don’t do anything we wouldn't do." I wink at them and with a thought, Home brings us to our favorite cove. "Thanks, Home. Could you see if maybe Mother Earth would talk with them? She's busy, I know, but it would go a long way to reconciling Gibbs to such a big paradigm shift."

//I'll see// her thoughts are always so warm and welcoming.

Settling Sebal'c into the soft nest we created for him with some cushions lining a big wooden bowl, I make sure he's fast asleep before casting a wicked look at my Jaffa. "First one in has to fuck me."

His chuckle is silent so as not to wake our son but then he's swiftly discarding the clothes hiding his body. I slow my own disrobing, lost in each new revelation of his golden flesh. My hands itch to touch and caress it. My tongue misses his taste.

"My One," his voice flows over me like the sweetest honey. "Do you require aid in removing your clothes?"

Kicking off my shoes, I shove my pants out of the way. "Nope, big guy, but I do need a little help with this terrible itch I've got. It's deep inside of me and only you can soothe it."

His eyes light up and his hands pull me close. "I shall investigate this itch at once, my One. Perhaps we should enter the water to see if that will help?"

I manage a nod before he sweeps me into his arms and carries me down to the water's edge. The waters feel like home to us, welcoming us back to where we belong. After we dunk ourselves so we're wet all over, I flutter kisses all over his beautiful face. His fingers are opening me for him, and I catch my breath when they ghost over my membrane.

"Tony DiNozzo wishes to have Jethro Gibbs' child. His scent changed when he realized you carried our Sebal'c inside of you." Teal'c finally has me stretched enough and I go down on all fours to welcome him in.

The burn feels so good, I moan softly while he slides in. When he pauses, I relax a little more. "I wondered what that scent meant. Is there a way for a symbiont to bite him so he can start the change?"

He begins rocking in and out while holding my hips still. "I do not know, my One. Becoming mates is what triggered Junior's bite for us. I would not know how to question him to see if he would do so for a stranger."

I grin and push back as much as he'll let me. I am heating up nicely. "Maybe we should ask Earth if she'd go for a modification in the human male? That way, every guy in a loving relationship could have their own child."

"It is an interesting thought, O'Neill." His chuckle makes me smile even harder. "Home, is this something possible for you?"

//study bright lights more// she sounds excited at learning something new

"Let us know, Home." I can feel myself begin to leak into the warm waters of the cove. "Harder, Teal'c, make me really feel you for an hour or so until I can entice you back into bed."

"My One." He slams in hard and I writhe beneath him.

And just like that, I release into the surf while he floods me with warmth. His seed races through my bowels, and I smile at the thought that when Sebal'c is two, we'll be creating a little brother for him just like this.

I can hardly wait.

**************************************


	11. Chapter 11

********* Gibbs ********* 

I haven't felt this boneless since . . . since . . . nothing comes to mind. I've never felt this good. Not in three marriages and a handful of affairs have I ever felt the waves of contentment I'm feeling right this minute. And the minute before or the one before that or the . . . I'm smiling like an idiot.

"Good look on you, Boss." Tony's voice is right by my ear, and I shiver all the way down to my toes at the hot breath against my skin. "Happy?"

Is there a twinge of uncertainty in his voice? I have to nip that right in the bud. "I'm happier than I've ever been in my life, Tony. And you're the reason."

I can almost hear a sigh of relief. "Good, I like making you happy."

Turning my head just far enough so I can look into those beautiful green eyes, I let myself smile. "You make me very happy. How about you?"

His eyelashes flutter, first hiding then revealing his eyes. "I never thought I had a chance. This had better not be a dream."

Ah, there is some uncertainty. "Rule twelve is hereby rescinded permanently. I'm not giving you up, not even if the Devil himself tries to make me. Although, I do have a much better use for that smart mouth of yours, Tony."

His smile starts small then grows into a beam of pure light. He's kissing me like there's no tomorrow, and I'm drowning in his sweet taste. When we have to breathe, he keeps on scattering kisses over my face. I've never felt so . . . cherished before. Why the hell it took me 45 years to figure out I swing both ways, I may never know. But nothing is going to keep me from finding out everything that makes him happy when we make love.

So far we've only traded blow jobs and some hand to hand but I'm more satisfied than if we'd fucked our brains out. I swallow hard, that's coming up and I'm not sure how to broach the subject without blushing like an idiot. I know the how, it's the getting there that worries me. I don't want to fuck or be fucked. But I do want to love and be loved.

At least that hasn't changed – I'm still making love only it's to a man, a very special man. My hands trace the scar on his right shoulder where a suspect got in a lucky stab two months ago. I went Old Testament on the bad guy and only Ducky managed to calm me down. I should have known then when staunching the wound and keeping my hands on Tony that I was hooked.

But it took an alien and an old friend to get me to finally acknowledge what I wanted. I have to be the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet that he wants me back.

//bright ones//

I blink and look down into Tony's eyes. He catches on first.

"Mother Earth, are you talking to us?"

//yes// her thought is like liquid sunshine in my brain //love you, want you to stay//

Our eyes meet again, and I clear my voice. "Ah, we love you too, Mother. We want to stay but sometimes two men who love each other are in danger when that becomes known. And there are rules governing what a supervisor and subordinate can do off the job."

//silly rules// she sounds really decisive //change that soon//

Tony is biting his lip and all of a sudden, I have the strongest urge to laugh out loud.

"That . . . that would be great, Mother. Um, how about the thing with males getting pregnant? Do you think you could maybe make some changes inside of those men who want to?" His voice goes from laughing to serious in the space of two sentences.

I blink at him. Pregnant males . . . like Jack?

//working on it, my bright ones// her thought sounds even more satisfied if that is possible

"Tony, what are you thinking?" I'm not sure I'm ready to find out what he's thinking.

"My family wasn't the greatest, Jethro but I knew one growing up that was." His eyes are dark green now, and I can hardly bear to see the sadness in them. "I always knew I wanted kids. But I only want them if I'm with someone I love and that's you. Seeing Jack hold Sebal'c," he dashes sudden tears away, "I want that. I want to carry your child, give birth and watch him grow."

Dear god, I'd never thought about kids, mainly because I married women who didn't want them. It was safer that way.

"It's . . . okay, Jethro, I know it's not for everyone." His smile trembles just a little, the shadow of old sorrow present in his eyes. He's good at hiding what he's feeling, and I hate that now. "I'm just happy to be with you. Loving you will be a full time job anyway."

I kiss him softly. He tastes of salt and I realize some of the tears reached his mouth. I lick them all away and suck on his tongue. When we break apart to breathe, I can see him cover up his wish with that mask he wears, the devil-may-care one. Ah, Tony, what the hell do you want with me? That second 'b' really does stand for bastard. Am I going to hurt you? God, I hope not.

********* Jack ********* 

Tony gets me to one side while we're showing them around Home. "Jack, ah, how does the pregnancy thing work?"

Damn, Teal'c is right again. Tony really wants to get pregnant. And I just bet Jethro doesn't have a clue what he wants. DiNozzo is special, and I decide right then and there to work on my old buddy to make him see the light. But for now, I'm taking this conversation to the beach. "Let's get comfortable, Tony."

Once at the beach, I sit back to nurse Sebal'c while Tony watches me with his heart in his eyes. I tell him everything, finishing up with, "and there's pain, Tony, a lot of pain during labor. It felt like I was trying to pass a bowling ball through my sphincter."

He grimaces then shrugs, his eyes full of old trauma. "I know pain, Jack. Nothing worth having isn't also worth some pain. But if Gibbs doesn't want kids, I won't nag him. I can hardly believe he let me in this far. I'm more grateful than I can ever say that you pushed the issue."

"Kids aren't for everybody." I feel my nipple fall from my son's lips while he yawns. Moving him to my shoulder, I start the gentle patting that will release any gas. "I always knew I wanted them and . . . when my son from my first marriage died, I truly thought that dream was over for good."

"You lost a son?" Tony's eyes widen.

So I tell him about Charlie and somewhere in the process, I start to really heal from what had been a gaping hole in my soul. Jethro is a very lucky man to have such a healing mate, and I plan on making sure he knows it. 

It's late that night while we're sitting around a campfire with full stomachs that I finally get a chance to talk to Jethro, one on one. Teal'c and Tony are back in the mountain putting Sebal'c to bed. Tony is such a curious soul, and he's getting all his questions about the Jaffa answered by my mate.

"Jack?" Jethro is pensive while he throws another dead branch on the fire. "This whole having babies scenario? Who decided, and when did you decide to do it?"

"When Teal'c told me I was growing a membrane like his and if I wished, we could start a baby and I could carry it." I turn my glass of tea around and around while I gather my thoughts. "I always wanted kids but when I lost Charlie, something inside of me shriveled up and died. I thought it was my fault – a judgment for my sins."

I make sure he's looking at me before I continue. "But when Teal'c first told me, the only thing I really thought was 'yes'. My brain leaped immediately to thinking 'I can have a baby'. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world to show my love by helping create a child. And it turned out I was right. It was the most natural – best thing I've ever done."

"No second thoughts about the loss of control over your own body?" Jethro's eyes are haunted.

"No." I can see where he's coming from though. "I was sharing my body with my son. I did do a little moaning and groaning about the aches and pains that came while my body adapted to the new parts.. But Teal'c was right there to give me massages, and hold me through the worst of it. Are you going to seriously think on it or reject it out of hand?"

He snorts and runs his fingers through his hair hard enough to make me wince. "I have a hard time denying Tony anything but I just don't get this. I'm afraid I'll hurt him when we . . . ah, go all the way."

X-rated pictures choose that moment to race through my mind. Now, I know how Janet felt when she first pictured us making love. Clearing my throat, I beat back the images of an almost naked Tony rising out of the surf, all wet and glistening. "So, you're taking it slow, that's good, Jethro. I'm guessing it's not Tony's first rodeo but it obviously is for you."

He blushes again. "It never even occurred to me until a few months ago when I realized I could lose him to the stupid plague. Ducky tells me I'm a slow learner."

I have to laugh at that and he finally grins across the leaping flames at me. "I miss the Duck-man, Jethro. I've missed his stories and that sharp mind of his. But getting back to the mechanics, I'd let him lead for a while. I know losing control is hard for you but I got to tell you, it's worth it. I've never felt so relaxed as when I first took Teal'c into my body. A little pain for sure but mostly there was just so much damn pleasure I passed right out."

His gaze is abstracted. "The oral sex is fantastic although I have a lot to learn. None of my wives had a clue when it came to cock-sucking. Tony is a master."

I smile gleefully at him. "Then, he's probably going to be as good with his cock as he is with his mouth. Let him in, Jethro. Experience everything before you decide what roles you want to play. As Teal'c so delicately puts it, I made love to him to 'complete our circle of bonding'. I loved it, don't get me wrong, but I'm pretty much a slut for my lover so I go on my back every chance I get."

He's blushing again, and I figure this is some kind of record. Too bad I can't tell anyone but Teal'c about it. 

********* Tony ********* 

Teal'c lets me put Sebal'c down in his crib and cover him with a blanket. The little guy yawns once and falls asleep, just like that. I can still feel the weight of him in my arms; smell the sweet scent of powdered baby. We lean over the railing, watching him for several moments before heading to the other room. He pours me some tea and looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Thanks, Teal'c. I mean for letting me help with bedtime." I drink the citrus tea and ponder asking him what I really want to know.

"I have told O'Neill you are curious about getting pregnant," he says calmly while I try not to snort tea through my nose.

He hands me a napkin and I mop up while thinking furiously. "Ah, yeah, I am curious about what it would take. Jack explained the how but will it only work between Jaffa mates?"

"So far, this is so, Anthony. I can ask at the temple when next I visit Chulak but to the best of my knowledge no symbiont has ever bitten a human before O'Neill. And I did not think to ask him if he wanted to become like me, which brings up the problem of percentages. O'Neill is half-Jaffa and half-human while I am full Jaffa."

"Damn, you're right. I'd be half and half but Gibbs would be 100% human . . . if we could even get that far. I really don't have a problem with the changes since most of them seem to be enhancements like better hearing and sight." I finish my tea over the lump in my throat, and say goodbye to the impossible dream. "Well, it was nice to think about. We'll have to go the old fashioned route of adoption if he ever decides kids are an option."

Teal'c's eyes are kind when they look into mine. "You have asked Earth if there is a way, and I think she will be working on a solution that will work with humans. But both of you must desire this with all your hearts to make a child of love as we made our Sebal'c."

My smile is real this time. "Yeah, he's something else, Teal'c. He's the perfect little boy made up of bits and pieces of both of you; Jack's hair and your nose; and when he tries to focus on something, his gaze is so much like yours."

He nods. "Very true, Anthony, his giggle reminds me of O'Neill when I am tickling him. I wish everyone could have the joy he brings to our lives. I will ask Home and Chulak if they will help Earth work on a solution."

I nod my thanks, too choked up to speak further. When I can finally say goodnight to Teal'c, Home takes me back to the beach. When I arrive, Jack says his goodbyes and leaves for the mountain. Jethro and I are spending the night in one of the beach huts. 

My lover looks amazing in the firelight, relaxed and happy. Not the way I normally get to see him, and I cherish the images of his laughter and flirty glances.

Stripping off our clothes, we wade into the still warm ocean waves for a quick wash. I love the feel of wet Jethro. He's not a bear by any means but I like the hair he reveals without his shirt. Salt and pepper curls climb all over his chest and down to his groin. His cock rises up out of a thatch of hair, and I lick my lips in anticipation of sucking him off again.

"Tonight I want something more." He blushes and practically shuffles his feet in the sandy bottom.

"Great!" I pull him close to kiss those thin lips. "I've got some lube in my bag. It's called Wet and works like a charm."

The deer in the headlights look isn't one I get to see often. "Ah . . . good, good, you're always thinking ahead, Tony."

"I have to plan well if I'm going to keep up with you." I wink at him before pulling him out of the water, and back to the fire. "We better put this out now and use the flashlight to find our way to the hut."

But before I can grab a bucket of sand, the fire is out.

//sweet dreams, bright ones//

Jethro's grip on my hand tightens. "Thank you, Home."

I manage my own 'good night', and wonder if talking to sentient planets will ever become 'ho-hum'. Nah, I don't think so. Jethro's little chuckle tells me our thoughts are probably the same. 

We walk naked back to the hut and I revel in the feel of the cooler evening breeze on my skin. The freedom here is intoxicating. This three day visit is like a honeymoon, and I hug it to me like a miser hugs his gold. 

Never in my wildest dreams did I picture this. Pulling the covers down, I watch Jethro light two candles on the bedside table. The candlelight softens all his hard edges and turns those beautiful eyes into blue coals. I hate to look away but I need the tube of Wet so I grab my bag to pull it out.

A little sigh brings my eyes up in time to catch Jethro looking at my ass. An excellent reaction and I smile at him before sliding into bed. He joins me hastily so we end up in each other's arms for another soul-destroying kiss. All those ex-wives had to be crazy to give this up, I think breathlessly while sucking on his tasty tongue.

"Tony," his choked off laugh makes me smile. "You are so damn good at this."

I could definitely hear that everyday for the rest of my life. "No better than you, Jethro. Now, let's play a little." I leer playfully at him and he laughs harder until the moment I smooth some Wet over his cock.

"Ah, damn that's slick." He's got that unsure look that makes me melt. "Tony, are you sure about this?"

"Yes, I've wanted you in me for forever and it's finally going to happen." I don't need any more prep since I fingered myself open earlier. I couldn't bear it if he says no so I'm not taking the chance. Straddling him, I sit back and take him inside of me. Oh god, he's bigger than anything I've taken in years. I'm panting but triumphant when I finally sit on his thighs. Mine, he's finally mine.

********* Teal'c ********* 

The cry of a newborn echoes through Samantha and Daniel's bedroom. 

"Jack was right. It's a girl, guys." Janet rests the baby on Samantha's stomach.

"Welcome to our world, Cheyenne." Samantha's tired smile is beautiful to see.

"She's gorgeous, Sam." O'Neill praises the tired mother. "Look at all that hair. She's going to be another beautiful blonde like her mama. Danny, you're going to be beating them off with a stick when she hits puberty."

Daniel is still laughing at O'Neill's remark when he cuts the umbilical cord and Janet clamps it off. My mate tenderly takes the small infant while the Doctor delivers the afterbirth. O'Neill washes the baby in the nearby basin with warm water. 

Terry takes her next and measures her before giving her back to our friends. "She's 21 inches long and weighs 6 and a half pounds, Sam."

I am glad our Sebal'c was smaller or my One could have never birthed him. O'Neill and I hug the new parents before taking our leave. If they are as tired as we were after having a baby then they need their sleep. 

We walk down to Mel'tic and Gaal'c's suite where we will pick up our son. When Daniel and Samantha asked us to be present at their delivery, we'd arranged for them to watch Sebal'c. My old friend is very close to delivering their child so they are sticking close to our base. 

"It was a girl," O'Neill announces the moment we enter their room. "She's beautiful, of course."

"We shall visit later with our gifts. I expect Samantha is sleeping now." Mel'tic smiles from the low couch where he reclines on his side with a pillow to help prop up his front. His stomach is as large as O'Neill's was and Gaal'c is busy massaging his back while our son waves his arms at us from the cradle nearby.

My One immediately goes to pick him up. Perhaps it is simply because we are new parents but he is almost always held by one or the other of us. Sebal'c thrives and that is all that is important. He is hungry, and pats my One's chest in an unmistakable request. My mate sits in a side chair, and bares his breast for our child.

Sebal'c latches on and begins to suck. O'Neill's eyes slit in pleasure, and I find I must touch him at once. Sitting next to him, I slide an arm around his waist. He leans into me with a beautiful smile that tells me we shall be making love very soon. We converse with our friends until Sebal'c finishes eating, then we take our leave for an afternoon at the beach.

Home whisks us to our cove, and Sebal'c is changed and asleep before much longer. We have almost an hour before he will awake again so we swim out our normal three miles before returning to shore. Sharing water flavored kisses, I take O'Neill in our hammock. The slight swinging sensation is addicting, and our lovemaking is slow but very satisfying.

"We need to check up on Jethro and Tony tomorrow." O'Neill lifts his hips a little to get me deeper and I oblige with a small thrust. "Ah-h-h, that's good, my own. We need to make sure they're okay with each other. Gibbs is not known for his romantic side and I like Tony."

"Anthony is a gentle soul for a warrior. Jethro hides his true nature from everyone." I glide deep before pulling out past his membrane, sparking another groan from his lips.

"So good, Teal'c, you feel so good inside of me. Deeper, my own, go deeper." His hand is leisurely stroking his shaft, and my symbiont trills happily at the thought of his afternoon treat of seed.

"My One," I lean down to kiss him, and his other hand pulls my head even closer while his legs tighten around my waist. Nothing is better than this, and I thank all the gods of my old world for letting me find my mate.

But all good things must end, and we climax together with matching moans. He is boneless in my arms, and even I feel the need for a brief rest. His heartbeat under my ear is very reassuring. A tiny whimper from Sebal'c's nest brings us both awake instantly. I slowly leave my mate's body, and move to pick up our son. His smile is as beautiful as my One's, and I cradle him to my chest to breathe deeply of his sweet scent.

O'Neill moves aside when I return, and we cuddle together in the hammock while the sun slowly moves toward the horizon. 

Two days later, we are bundled into Earth clothing and braving the headquarters of NCIS. We arrive at Gibbs' house only to find him gone, even though it is a Saturday. A call to his office confirms they are just finishing a case but an invitation to come there is tendered instead.

With no transportation readily available, we are going to call a cab but instead Mother Earth moves us to the parking garage near Gibbs' vehicle. We thank her most sincerely, and her mental touch is cooler than Home's but still welcoming. We are stopped at the main entrance by security but Anthony arrives a moment later and gets us signed in. 

Security seems very tight, and Anthony has the headache wrinkle I'd noticed before in my One. He explains quietly their latest case involved bombs and an old adversary. A member of their team has been shot, and is currently in the hospital. O'Neill suddenly tenses, his hands coming up instinctively to cradle our son's body. Sebal'c is close held to his chest in a sling Samantha found in San Francisco.

"We got him, Jack." Anthony notices his movement, and hastens to reassure us. "I promise he's dead. Ducky has him on his autopsy table, right where he wanted him. We've been after Ari for a long time. It feels good to finally be finished with the bastard."

********* McGee ********* 

I look up when Tony comes back with his visitors. Two men and a baby, I blink, that wasn't what I was expecting. And Gibbs is smiling, getting up and hugging the one carrying the kid. Wow, what next, an alien invasion? The ringing phone breaks my concentration, and the weirdness just keeps growing. 

Ducky is demanding we come down to his lab. I don't even get a word in before his receiver bangs down.

"Um, Gibbs, Ducky wants us down there right now." I hesitate to interrupt them but Ducky sounded excited.

Gibbs' goes from a smile to a frown in an instant. "Okay, I'll head down. Tony, you want to show the guys around?"

"Um, Ducky wants all of us, Gibbs." I speak up with a wince at my own temerity.

But Gibbs' friend is smiling. "Hi, Special Agent McGee, I'm Jack and this is Teal'c. It's been ages since I've seen Ducky. Why don't we start our tour down there?"

Interestingly, Gibbs agrees and we head for the boss' elevator. It's a bit of a squeeze with five grown men and a baby but we all fit. The big black guy still hasn't said a word but I notice he's glued to the side of his . . . um, I haven't figured out what their relationship is. And what kind of name is Tea…something? There's something on his forehead. Stealing a couple of quick glances, I can see what may be a tat under the brim of his baseball cap right in the middle of his forehead. Weird.

Conversation mainly figures around a barbeque the new guys want to invite us to. That's cool and just what we need after the last few days. My heart skips a beat again when that horrible moment of Kate falling to the roof grabs me hard. Closing my eyes, I see the blood and the awful despair of thinking we'd failed.

Warm hands shake me and I hear Tony's voice. "Come on back, Tim. We're all safe now."

Opening my eyes, I nod shortly. It's been a couple of hours since the last flashback, and I hope that means I'm getting better. It was just way too close this time. So much has happened, what with one event piling on top of another with no time in between. I start hyperventilating just thinking about it. Getting off the elevator, I'm the last one to walk into the lab only to find Ducky in a full yellow decontamination suit clucking over Ari's corpse.

The black guy immediately halts all of us from getting closer. "O'Neill, take our son from here. That is a Gryshan body."

Jack doesn't waste any time moving back, and Tony and I move with him instinctively. Ducky is nodding and Gibbs is moving towards him when Tea stops him. "Gibbs, it is not safe for one not in full gear. Dr. Mallard, I suggest full contamination procedures. The body you are looking into is alien."

"Ah, I suspected as much. It's good to see you again, Colonel." Ducky smiles at Jack from behind the clear glass of his hood. "What gave it away? The smell? I went into safe mode on principal and the moment I cut into him . . . well, it was obvious, with the double heart, no liver and the strange bowel arrangement. What planet are the Gryshans from?"

By now, Gibbs has joined us and we are listening to them converse through the intercom system. Jack is patting the baby's back, his eyes anxious on the other man. I'm getting a really strange feeling so I pinch myself hard. Ow, that hurts. Okay, I'm awake and not dreaming so what the hell is going on?

"Teal'c, please come out of there. You know Gryshans make you sneeze," Jack says rather plaintively, and the baby babbles a little.

And with a bow to Ducky that looks kind of regal, the big guy comes on out. "It is all right, my One. It's only when I touch one that I sneeze." He strokes the side of Jack's face and my eyes widen even more. Then he pats the baby's face gently. "Sebal'c, you are just fine."

"Actually, he's wet. Do your bathrooms have changing tables in them?" Jack looks at Tony who shakes his head no. "Great, how about a conference room for a little privacy?"

"You can come to my lab. Nothing hinky going on there so far today." Abby's voice comes from over our shoulders. "Abby Sciuto at your service, and did I hear somebody say aliens?"

I close my eyes briefly and say a little prayer. Abby and aliens just naturally go together like caffeine and coffee. Somehow I just know things are going to get even weirder.

*******************************


	12. Chapter 12

********* Jack ********* 

Okay, Tony is right. Abby's a little out there. Maybe way-y-y out there but then I'm the one who brought her a real live alien so it's partly my fault. She's got a big heart though, and while I may not ever let her baby-sit Sebal'c, she's welcome on my world. I swear she has enough energy for ten. Although, I think that may have something to do with that stuff she drinks.

I think I'm going to warn Sebal'c about girls like her around sixteen years from now.

Ducky finally finishes his autopsy and joins us. By then, I already know we need some allies in the government. All conversation ceases in that uncanny way it does at a party sometimes. I look around at our friends. We've got some good people but we need more.

"Guys, we need more input and we need trusted friends in high places." I pause but all I get are nods. "Mother, can you vet people for us? Tell us who is Earth-born and trustworthy?"

//yes// her thought doesn't hesitate at all //Director Morrow is good//

Gibbs blinks then picks up the phone and calls upstairs. His conversation is brief but within ten minutes, Tom Morrow appears. He listens then nods and mentions some names to Mother Earth. She approves two of them but the third appears in front of us. Teal'c immediately takes him into a headlock, disarms him and damned if he isn't another Gryshan. My mate starts sneezing and Gibbs takes over so we can ask Home to bring us back to her.

I don't want Sebal'c to be anywhere near an assassin, and Teal'c needs a good scrubbing. Janet and Terry take our son for a while, and I take my mate back to our rooms for a hot bath. My hands are suddenly trembling while I smooth soap over his skin. Then I'm holding onto him tightly while my brain thinks of all the things that could have gone wrong.

"My One, we are safe and sound." His voice whispers into my ear while his hands soothe my back. "We will be more careful now we know some of our enemies. And Mother Earth can distinguish between human and Gryshan."

"Yeah, I know but," I shiver and hold on tighter. "I'm turning into a wimp, Teal'c. I'm afraid for Sebal'c . . . and us."

"There is nothing of the wimp about you, my One." His deep tones soothe my soul. "We now have a child who depends on us for everything. It is not appropriate for us to take him into danger, and Earth is dangerous right now."

For some reason, I feel a lot better and suddenly realize something else. "I don't think of Earth as home anymore. This is home in all ways now. It's where I want us to live forever."

"Then we shall do so, my One." Teal'c's smile is so warm that I just have to taste it.

Loving kisses and roving hands soon have me on my hands and knees while Teal'c slowly sinks into me. Ah-h-h-h, that feels so-o-o-o good, I think with the tiny portion of my brain that isn't in bliss-mode. Better than good, he feels great moving inside of me. The water sloshes gently around us while he thrusts in and out. 

My whole body seizes up into one giant climax then he floods me with his hot seed. My arms give way, and I end up face first into the hot water. His chuckle makes me smile while his big hands bring me up and back onto his body. Big T is still lodged deep, and I flex my inner muscles around him in thanks.

"Beloved O'Neill," Teal'c's deep whisper makes me go all liquid inside. "You and our son are the most precious beings on any of our worlds. And you are right; this world is our home in every way. What help we can give our former peoples, we will. But our first priority is to our family, and the others here on Home."

I hold his arms tight around me, feeling safe and back on an even keel. "Our new family is growing by leaps and bounds. It looks like Terry and Mel'tic are going to go into labor about the same time. Maybe we should call this world the 'Baby Planet'."

His deep chuckle makes me smile even broader. "Perhaps a subsidiary name of 'Home – the Baby Planet'?"

I ripple my muscles around his cock, and feel him perk up. "We can practice making Sebal'c a little brother."

"You must heal further before carrying another child." Warm fingers pinch my left nipple, and I wiggle with delight. "Your body gave many nutrients to Sebal'c. You must replenish them before chancing another pregnancy."

"I know, Teal'c, but just so you know, I really want more children and soon." Using his arms as a lever, I flex and sit up, spearing myself deeper on Big T. Pausing, I just enjoy the pain/pleasure of something so big inside of me. Then I pull off of him while biting my lip at the loss of his bulk. "Let's take this to bed, big guy. Sebal'c needs to feed."

My mate nods and rises with me. A quick kiss, and we're toweling off so he can go get our son. I don't even bother getting dressed, just crawl into our big bed while Teal'c pulls on a pair of shorts. While he's gone to pick up Sebal'c from Janet and Terry, I think about Earth and the battles my former planet is facing. Somebody hired the Gryshans and it wasn't someone from Earth.

Who is making a world grab? And just how far up the chain of command has this conspiracy gone?

********* Gibbs ********* 

I finish off another report, and take a deep breath. Not even coffee is going to keep me awake much longer. In the last twenty-four hours, we've discovered 212 Gryshan assassins among the governments in 32 countries. Mother Earth transported all non-humans to an island off the coast of Australia then moved the USS Eisenhower offshore.

My team and I were moved right along with her. Earth has raised some kind of force field to protect us from the aliens. Sorting out who is who, and what happened to the original humans proved to be terribly simple. Vice President Howard was killed, and disintegrated by his replacement. Unfortunately, that is business as usual for Gryshans. 

The world has come to a screeching halt. Mother Earth grounded all transports – sky, water, and land. The media is in a frenzy and governments aren't far behind. Chaos would be the order of the day but our planet seems to be sending out soothing pulses that calm the worst of the fear.

Strong hands gently land on my shoulders, and I catch my breath while fingers start to massage tense muscles. "That the last one, Boss?"

"Yeah, all present and accounted for." I resist leaning my head back against a taut stomach. We're not alone at the moment. "The last body was exhumed in Bonn. Their Minister of Defense was the last Gryshan Mother sent us."

"Good, how about you take a little rest now?" Tony keeps working my shoulders until I just want to melt into a puddle under this Navy-issue desk. "Ducky says he's going to drop a tranquilizer in your next cup of coffee if you don't take a break."

I snort but nod yes. Ducky would do it, too. "We been assigned bunks, Tony?"

His smile gleams. "Oh yeah, Boss, we've got a tiny cabin on C deck. Bunk beds, I'm afraid, and you have to share with me."

I sit up straight, and surge to my feet. "Lead the way, Tony, I'm suddenly feeling sleepy."

Waving goodbye to McGee and Morrow, I follow my lover down a deck to what has to be an ensign's quarters. I spare a brief thought for where the poor guys are now bunking but then Tony's mouth is on mine, and all I can do is feel. A warm, slippery tongue; the rich scent of cinnamon; the feel of his soft cotton shirt under my fingers; the sound of harsh breathing – I revel in every sensation.

"God, I've wanted to do that for hours." He starts undressing me with clever fingers, and I let him while my hands comb through the soft hair I love.

"You in the mood to ravage me?" I mange to husk out while his lips find my skin beneath the shirt. "I think I'm up for that."

His chuckle makes me smile. "Gosh, Jethro, I don't know. You look kind of tired to me. Maybe we should just take a nap on separate bunks?"

I'm pouting, I just know it. Damn it to hell and back. "You better be teasing me, Tony, or . . . or I'm going to have to do something Marine-like."

"Ooo-oh, I'm shaking here, Boss." Those warm fingers are unbuttoning my pants and slowly sliding them down my legs. He folds easily down to his knees, his hot lips slowly mouthing my rising cock through my cotton boxers. "Goodness, Jethro, I'm going to have to disarm this weapon I found."

Hands remove my shoes then each foot is lifted so my pants can come off. A slick tongue slides through the slit in my underwear, and I have to bite back a moan. God, the things Tony can do with his tongue. Opening my eyes, I look down to find him just staring at me.

"You're so beautiful like this, Jethro. Disheveled, your shirt hanging open, your hands flat against the door, and your cock tenting your black boxers – you look like you're ready to be ravished." His voice is husky, and makes me shiver all over.

But he thinks I'm cold, and stands up to guide me to the lower bunk. Now it's my turn to undress him, and I'm a lot more impatient. He kicks his loafers off while I'm tearing at his waistband so I can peel those sinfully tight jeans off of him. 

"Commando, Tony?" I lick my lips when his cock springs out at me. "Tell me next time so I can fantasize."

His laughter is so precious to me. I have got to get him to do it more often. His hands are stripping off his polo shirt while my breath goes short. He's so damn beautiful but when I tell him, he doesn't believe me. When we get a spare moment, I'm going to sic Mother on his child-abusing parents. They deserve a little punishment, and I won't have to lie to him.

"Where are you, love?" His long fingers stroke my cheeks, and I blink. "Are we going too fast, Jethro? I promised to go slow and I will."

"I know you will, Tony." Carefully, I fall back on the bunk and bring him down with me. "Part of me is glad about that but part of me wants more. I want you inside of me."

"Ah, love, we've got all the time in the world." 

His kiss is so tender. I want it to last forever. My hands run over his naked back and down to pert cheeks. They just fit my hands, and I can't help but give them a little squeeze. His moan is good to hear so I tickle his crease to release another one. This time it's a gasp and that's almost as good.

"Hm-m-m, give you a hundred years to stop that." He's scattering kisses over my face. "How about I stretch you a little so you see what all the fireworks are about?"

"Yeah." I roll my head so he can reach that hot spot below my right ear. "Did we pack lube?"

His chuckle and a tube of Wet arrive together, the one from under my pillow. "You know my motto, always prepared."

And am I glad about that. "Always thinking ahead, that's what I like about you, Tony. How are we going to do this? We've barely got room for one of us, let alone two."

"Yeah, it's kind of tight quarters." His pun makes me laugh. "How about you go on your stomach for me while I try not to hit my head on the overhead bunk?"

My nerves quiver a moment. This is Tony, I tell myself while we awkwardly maneuver into position. I trust him with my life so I can easily trust him with my body. It feels so strange though. He's slipped a pillow under my hips and he's kneeling between my legs while I try not to tense up. I wish I was more flexible so we could do this face to face.

Strong hands massage my back until I finally relax. "Not going to hurt you, Jethro, love you too much to ever do that."

So much love in his voice, I say another silent prayer of thanks to a merciful deity. "I trust you, Tony. You're the only one I'd ever let get this close. It's been a while since I was the virgin."

A faint snort is followed by a chortle but his hands never stop soothing me. "Yeah, I can see where that might be a little disconcerting, Boss. How about I promise to be gentle?"

I grin into my pillow. "I'd be ever so grateful, Tony. I'm just a fair and fragile flower waiting to be debauched."

The chortle turns into laughter, and he starts kissing down my spine between gusts of mirth. "Boss, we're going to have a long talk about what you've been reading lately."

"The woman next to me on that last trip was reading a Harlequin romance." I wiggle a little when those warm fingers ghost a caress between my cheeks. "I couldn't help reading a little of it now and then. Do you know they actually put sex in those things now?"

He's laughing again. "I know that, Jethro. Even the trashy romances have gone hard core these days. But for the really trashy, you need to go online and read some slash stories. I'll print off a couple of my favorites for you."

"Slash?" I wonder what that means but something slick is tickling my hole, and I take a deep breath before letting it slowly out.

********* Tony ********* 

He's so brave, this beautiful man of mine. Some of the lube trickles into him, and he twitches just slightly. He may not be fragile but he is indeed my fairest one. "Slash is a name for same-sex pairings." I slip a finger in easily and wait through the inevitable tightening. "We'd definitely be a good inspiration for some writer." He relaxes and I slide in further, still not believing he's letting me do this.

"Men write this kind of sex?" His voice is faintly incredulous.

Good thing he can't see my grin. "Well, some do but the majority of writers are female and they do a really delicious job of writing male-on-male sex. I can just see one of them writing about a silver fox like you."

His snort of laughter shakes his whole body. "More likely they'd pick a hot young stud like you."

"Why, thank you, Jethro. Good to know you think I'm hot." I twist my finger and feel the bump of his prostate.

"Jesus Christ, Superstar, what was that?" He tightens up all over, and I brush it again.

"Welcome to your prostate gland, Agent Gibbs." I go back to moving in and out while squeezing out a little more Wet into his crease. "I'm going to try for two fingers, love. Relax for me."

"That's kind of hard to do when you're torturing me." He's panting just a little, and I smile down. "Why the hell doesn't it feel that good when Dr. Jones is giving me my physical?"

"Damn good thing it doesn't or I'd have to go kill the good doctor." Sudden jealousy rears its ugly head and I fight it back. 

"Not to worry, Tony. He's Ducky's age and doesn't do a thing for me." He wiggles again under me.

"Good, I have the feeling I'm going to be a bit possessive." I fold in the second finger, watching his back to judge the tension.

"Pot meet kettle," his dry tones bring a smile back to my face. "I love you, Tony, only and ever you."

Sudden tears spring to my eyes. Nobody ever said that to me before, not and meant it. "I love you too, Jethro, only and ever you."

I finger fuck him slowly, making sure he's enjoying it. His cock is hard and weeping in my other hand, but I don't want his first time to be on an aircraft carrier so I gently ease my fingers out after a few more moments. 

"What?" He twists his head around to glare at me. "Why did you stop?"

"We're not doing this on board a ship, Jethro. I want to have more room and comfort before I ease myself into this sweet ass." I stroke his cheeks, and he blushes beet red. Oh, I love that reaction.

Clearing his throat, he says gruffly, "Fine, then let me turn over so I can kiss you."

More delicious Gibbs' kisses, oh yeah, I can do that. It's just as awkward as it was earlier but eventually we get face-to-face and side-by-side. Nothing tastes as good as him; he's just a banquet of delight. He's coffee, some of the popcorn we'd been snacking on, and just his own unique flavor. Sucking on his tongue, I entwine my own around it until we have to breathe.

"Never get enough of you, Tony." It's his turn to scatter kisses over my eyes and cheeks. "The minute we're free and clear, we're going to pay Jack and Teal'c a visit. If that hut was good enough for Teal'c to pop Jack's cherry, then it's good enough for you to pop mine."

I go hot then cold then back to hot again. My fingers are still slick with Wet so I grab his cock, and begin to jerk him off. His moan is so sexy, and his callused fingers slide around me to return the favor. It's enough and we're both coming within a few moments. Our lips smooth gentle caresses over any skin within reach. But semen is sticky, and we finally part before we're glued together.

I let him take the first shower while I get clean clothes out of our bags. The head in this tiny cabin is the size of a closet so there's no way we can share one. I really want to go back to Home for a long, lazy swim before too long. Little Sebal'c is in my heart now, and I want to see him again. It might be a while before Jack lets his son or mate visit Earth.

I wouldn't want to risk them either. 

********* Jack ********* 

Mel'tic delivers a beautiful three pound, 13 inch long baby boy early one morning. I am smiling non-stop when Home unexpectedly whisks Teal'c and me to Janet and Terry's suite. Terry is grimacing, and we catch on right away.

"Yeah, Terry," I kiss her sweaty cheek, and she latches onto my hand with a grip of steel. "Looks like Grae'c will have to share his birthday with your two."

Janet's smile grows. "Did everything go all right?"

Teal'c nods. "Mel'tic is well, and the bleeding is contained. The baby cried most lustily once his air passages cleared. He is smaller than our Sebal'c but well formed just the same."

Janet nods. "I'll check on them later. Jack, could you go and get Ducky? He promised he would come and deliver our babies."

"You bet, sweetheart." I hand Sebal'c over to my mate, and he kisses me gently. "I'll be right back."

Home whisks me away then, and I find myself suddenly on board a big boat with two Navy guards pointing weapons at me. "Whoa, guys, just looking for Dr. Mallard."

"Ah, Jack, is it time for babies?" Ducky's dulcet tones comes from behind the guards. "Quite all right, gentlemen, he's on our side." He gently pushes through them, and joins me. "Let's go increase the population of Home."

"You want to tell Jethro you're leaving?" I raise an eyebrow at him. "You know how he worries."

His blue eyes twinkle up a storm. "I expect you're right, Jack. He can be such a mother hen."

"No, I'm not, Ducky." Gibbs' voice comes from over my shoulder, and I turn to see him looking rumpled but so happy I have to smile. Tony is right behind him, and he's beaming, too. "Jack, Tony, it's good to see you both."

"Good to be seen, Jethro. I'm stealing Ducky away to deliver the twins. We'll let you know when they're safely out." I catch the yearning look on Tony's face. That was something I really hoped my old friend was coming to terms with or their love story could still crash and burn.

"Later." I take Ducky's arm, and Home teleports us to Terry's side. She's panting hard, and walking down the long corridor leading to the waterfall chamber. Teal'c is on one side and Janet on the other. Our son is nowhere in sight.

"Ah, ladies, how nice to see you again." Ducky bows his head to them, and they break out into delighted smiles. "I'm honored you have asked me to assist you."

"We're very pleased you said yes, Dr. Mallard." Terry kisses his cheek. "I feel much safer knowing you're here to help."

"I do too, Ducky. I don't trust myself to be completely impartial." Janet admits with a grimace.

"You'll be needed to help your mate through the late stages of labor." Ducky pats Janet's cheek. "If you don't mind, I'd like to head to the medical center to check on your progress."

So we all head down that way, and Teal'c tells me that Sam and Danny are taking care of our son. Ducky is such a curious soul, and his questions about our underground complex help take Terry's mind off the quickening contractions. I can hardly wait to see our sons. We've talked about our roles in their lives. We all agree that we'll raise them together with Sebal'c.

And we'll be there for each other, no matter what. It helps a lot that Home is watching out for all of us. All but me are first time parents but we've got the best grandma in the galaxy in our corner. I, for one, appreciate her no end. 

Janet helps Terry out of her caftan, and onto the exam table. Ducky warms his hands with brisk rubbing then begins his exam. Terry is panting, and I find myself doing it with her. She's gripping my hand again, and I swear the small bones are just about to break. Teal'c has her other hand so hopefully she can feel our support in a concrete way. I can hardly believe this is really happening. My eyes meet Teal'c's, and we share a smile.

"Goodness, my dear, this is going quite quickly. You're already at eight centimeters." Ducky smiles up at her, and I can see Janet breathe a sigh of relief. "Do you still wish a water birth, Terry?"

"Yes, please," she nods and sits up with our help. "Jack had the right idea. The warm waters won't be such a shock for the babies. Did you bring a swimsuit, Dr. Mallard?"

He chuckles. "I'm afraid I did not but these pants are drip dry so I shall be fine. Let us depart. These babies are in a hurry."

I have my own ideas about why this birth is going so quickly. Home had my labor to go by, and that may have formed her opinions about the speed of delivery. Why ever it is happening, I just silently thank her. I hate seeing Terry in pain even though the results are going to be wonderful.

And I'm right. An hour longer and Jonathan makes his appearance with a wavering cry. I've got something in my eye because he looks just like my Charlie did all those years ago. Janet and Terry kiss him, counting fingers and toes before handing him to me. He's got to be over six pounds, and he's probably going to be tall because he's sure a long one. I hold his head with its shock of brown hair out of the warm waters but keep his body just under so he's comfortable.

Terry is panting and pushing again. Teal'c props her like he did me while Janet holds her hands and encourages her. Ducky is between her legs, giving us an update every now and then.

"Crowning head, my friends, and this one is bald." He chuckles. "He's an impatient little boy. Terry, one more good push, and you'll have another son to hold. His right shoulder is out and . . . there he is."

"Oh love, you do good work." Janet is crying, and smiling so big while caressing the golden skin of a small Teal'c look-alike on Terry's stomach. 

"They're both beautiful." Terry is leaking tears but her smile is bright. "Welcome to our world, Te'ak. We're very glad you and your brother are finally here."

Ducky smiles and cuts the second umbilical cord. "Two fine boys, ladies and gentlemen, everything looks good for both mothers and sons. Shall we adjourn to the medical center so we can weigh and measure everyone?"

"Home, please move us." Janet asks and just like that, we are in the dry air of the lab.

It's all a bustle for a while, and the babies go from one set of arms to another. Te'ak is smaller than Jonathan but if he is anything like his big brother Sebal'c, he'll grow quickly. Terry delivers the afterbirth and Ducky takes care of it. 

"I'm sleepy, guys. I need a nap." Terry is yawning so wide, she makes all of us feel the urge. 

Teal'c gathers her up, and carries her to their suite with Janet and me following with the babies. Ducky walks with us, still asking questions about some of the things he's seen here. I promise him another visit soon. Once the ladies and their sons are tucked in, we tiptoe out to leave them to bond.

Taking Ducky back to the USS Eisenhower, I make a mental note to have Home talk to Earth about something like our crystal necklaces for her citizens. At least for the ones who want to travel between worlds, I amend my thought. Some of us are going to be going back and forth for some time to come.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

*********************************


	13. Chapter 13

********* Gibbs ********* 

Ducky hasn't stopped beaming since Jack brought him back. He doesn't get much chance to work with live patients, and delivering babies is another whole higher level of satisfaction. If we're not careful, he's going to want to immigrate to Home. I'd miss him a lot but he'd also be safe there. Earth is pretty dangerous these days.

Rubbing my eyes, I wish for this bizarre case to end. Give me a plain old murderer or a missing person case any day. I'm not used to having the fate of the world in the balance while we investigate. Mother seems to feel more comfortable with my team so we're working on everything she brings us.

"Hey, Boss, I just asked if we could go home." Tony's voice comes over my shoulder, and I whirl my chair around to feast my eyes on him. His eyes are sparkling but the blue shadows under them are indicative of the tiredness we all feel.

"Sounds good to me," I stretch and watch his gaze turn sultry. I don't know if I'll ever get used to being the one who turns him on. But man! Do I want to try. "Home-home or our home-away-from-home?"

His grin is slow and sure. "A little vacation is called for, I believe."

"All of us?" And suddenly my stomach is doing flips. "Yeah, we all could use a little R & R." 

"Kate is getting out of the hospital today and she said she was coming, too." His eyes are dancing. "She says if her mom tries one more time to baby her, she's going to go insane."

"Well, we can't have that." I lever myself out of the chair, and feel the world spin on me. Damn it, how long has it been since I ate? 

Strong arms steady me, and I want to just let him hold me up but my spine is already straightening. I'm beginning to hate my stiff-necked Marine persona. I just want to be held. Green eyes tell me to hold on, and I manage a nod. Soon.

We pay a last courtesy call on Admiral Boyd, who's still trying to get used to a planet talking to him, then pack up to leave the Eisenhower. With barely a blink, we're back in NCIS headquarters in DC. Home at last, I sigh silently, and feel myself begin to relax. "People, go home. Keep your cell phones handy in case we're needed but for now, just head out."

McGee and Abby hurry out at once while I check to see if there are any messages from Tom. Nothing. Catching Tony's gaze, I tilt my head towards the elevator and he grins. With a graceful sweep of his arm, he gestures me ahead of him. But he's right on my heels.

"I've always loved walking behind you, Jethro. Did you know your ass is destined for the Great Ass Hall of Fame?" The little whisper goes no farther than my suddenly burning ears. "Oh yeah, you have the tightest, most adorable ass in this building."

I try for a glare when we step into the elevator. "I do not have an adorable ass. Tight, yes – adorable, no."

A big hand slides down my back to cup my left buttock. "Don't know, boss, it feels pretty adorable from here."

My cock is trying to stand to attention with just that touch, and I have to moan a little under my breath. "Tease."

"Not teasing if I follow through, boss." His hand keeps on fondling my tingling ass check. "Naked would be even better."

I sigh just a little when the doors open. "Home as fast as we can, Tony. My place, okay?"

"Yeah, boss, that's good. I'll see you there." He moves two parking spaces away to his muscle car. "Drive safe."

I unlock my door before turning to meet his eyes. "You too, let's not have a race. No more than 75 per."

His wink tells me I may just get there second. We leave the parking ramp decorously but luckily 11 pm means there isn't much traffic. I'm on auto-pilot until I park in my drive, when suddenly I'm so tired I can hardly get my car door open. The last week has been a real emotional rollercoaster.

"C'mon, Jethro, there's a great big bed calling our name." Tony's hand reaches for me.

I take it, letting him pull me up and out. "Sleep first then we can head to Home."

"Definitely," Tony smiles at me. "Just think, a big wide bed and no one to overhear us if we get a little noisy."

"Heaven." I lead him into the house, and up the stairs to my bedroom. It smells a little stale, so the first thing Tony does is open a window. But then he starts stripping off his clothes, and I match him piece by piece until we're both naked. We meet in the middle of my comfortable bed, and our kiss is short but powerful while siren sleep called our aching bodies into crashing.

********* Ezra ********* 

I wiggle further into the closet behind the clothes, trying not to make a sound. If he finds me now it will be bad. Really, really bad. I've only been here a week but I already have bruises. Even if I'm quiet and good, he'll hit me. And so far, nothing I've done is good enough.

I want to cry but I'm a big boy now I've turned five. Wrapping my arms tight around my knees, I try to make myself really small so he won't find me. Rocking back and forth, I listen hard to make sure he isn't still looking for me. He was muttering while he drank, and that had given me warning.

"Stupid kid, stupid bitch, stupid welfare system." His slurred voice meant he'll soon be looking for me.

When I grow up, I am never, ever going to drink anything but water. 

"Where are you, you little brat?" He's in the bedroom now and I shiver, holding my knees tighter so I can be even smaller. "Stupid kid, come out, come out where ever you are."

The little singsong in his voice is really scary. I'm shivering so hard, I'm afraid he'll hear me. But his stumbling footsteps leave for the hall while I blot tears against my jeans. I wish I wasn't here. I don't really remember anything from before waking up in a hospital. Sometimes I hear a sweet voice singing 'hush little baby', and I remember someone rocking me.

But that was long ago and now I'm just like a package the mail man delivers. It's not wanted so it gets turned back to the post office until they send it out again. I wish someone would want me. Sometimes I get to watch TV, and I see families there who like each other. I wish I could find one like them.

I'm beginning to think it's my fault no one wants me. I'm too little and too girly, my last foster mother said. She liked to hit too when she sniffed a white powder. I was always hungry there but this place isn't much better. I sneaked some crackers and a banana yesterday. I haven't had anything today. 

It's nice and warm here in the closet. If I curl up, maybe I can sleep for a while. I can sneak out when he goes to sleep. I'm thirsty but that will have to wait. He might hear the water running in the bathroom, and then he'd be even madder when he finds me. I'm dozing, I think when loud bangs echo through the house.

I start awake, listening hard. Somebody else is out there. It doesn't sound like Mr. Rivers. These are boots, and there is more than one set. Maybe he has friends over? I shrink back into the corner, making myself as small as I can. Maybe they'll take him away with them.

********* Tony ********* 

Home's sunlight is golden. I wonder if Earth's light used to be like this before we smogged it up. Standing on the white sand beach, I watch Jethro lying in the gently swaying hammock. I love to watch him when he doesn't know I am. But he could wake any minute so I head for him. Dripping sun warmed water on him, I lean down and kiss him awake.

"Hm-m, Tony," his husky murmur makes me feel ten feet tall. "Love you."

"Love you too, Jethro," I straddle him, sitting lightly on his thighs. "You feeling better?"

"I feel great. You do, too." His blue eyes sparkle up at me while his hands slide up my legs to rest gently on my hips. "Naked is a good look for you, my bronze warrior."

I blush all the way down to my toes. "Jethro! I'm going to have to start looking for your stash of Harlequins if you keep this up."

He winks at me before cautiously sitting up in the slightly tippy hammock. "You'll never find them but there is something I need you to look for right now."

Our cocks are dueling between us, and my hands are stroking his long arms. "I've got everything I need right here, boss."

"Me, too." His eyes soften to azure. "But I've also got an ache deep inside of me that only you can reach."

I know exactly what he means. "Time to pop your cherry, Jethro?"

Blue fire, that's what his eyes remind me of. "Past time, Tony, I'm so ready I'm about to explode."

"Okay," I've got a lump in my throat but I stand, helping him up and out with me from the hammock. The walk to the hut where we're staying is both short and long. The anticipation is rising in both of us but I'm also feeling a little anxious. What if I can't make it good for him? What if I hurt him with my passion?

He reads my mind. "Tony, I love you. I also trust you with everything I am. You won't hurt me, just bring me more pleasure than I've ever felt before."

My heart is beating so quickly, I'm amazed he can't hear it. But we're in the hut now, and he's sliding onto the wide bed with a feline stretch that makes my cock throb. The sultry look he's throwing me heats the air white-hot. I'm helpless to do anything but follow him down onto the cool sheets. He's already holding the tube of Wet. Squeezing some out onto his fingers, he hands me the tube then begins to coat my cock with his hand.

Shakily, I squeeze some out, and move between his legs. I will not hurt him. He's taken two fingers, and enjoyed them so I start with that, sliding into his heat with little resistance. "Damn, Jethro, you're so hot."

He's squirming a little but he's still smiling. "I'm feeling a little heated. But I think it's about to get even hotter."

I fold in a third finger, and he clamps down around me like a vise. "Easy, love, just relax, and let it happen."

"Big, feels really big." He's panting a little but gradually he relaxes. "Okay, let's play find Jethro's prostate."

I chuckle, sliding deeper to find that magic bump. He flushes from head to toe, and arches a little when I make contact. "Feels good, Jethro? I can hardly wait to feel it for myself."

"Oh yeah, I never dreamed it could feel this good." He's panting a little more but also opening up for me. "More, Tony, give me all of you."

"I can do that, love." I slide my fingers out, bending his legs back towards his chest. "Relax for me, and let me in."

He nods, and takes over holding his legs back so I can position my cock at his hole. Did I stretch him enough? Pressing harder, I feel his resistance then suddenly I'm in, sliding deep. And it feels so right. He's glove tight around me, rippling around me like a living creature.

"God, he feels huge." His smile is so big they could probably see it across the galaxy, and he's panting a little. "And . . . he feels . . . right."

I lean down, kissing him slowly before beginning to rock in and out an inch at a time. Part of me wants to just slam in but most of me feels so privileged he's let me in at all, I have no trouble keeping it gentle. "I love you, Jethro Gibbs."

"I love you too, Tony DiNozzo, now show me fireworks." His grin is cheeky.

"Roman candles and starbursts galore, boss." I promise him, beginning to move a little faster. Once I've got his prostate targeted, his shout is good to hear. Sweat is trickling down my back now but I'm going to burn him down to the sheets before I even think about coming.

Slow and steady is the way to go. 

********* Teal'c ********* 

Life is good. My mate is healthy and happy; our son is thriving; our friends have all born their children safely; our world is constantly surprising us with new discoveries; and I have never been so satisfied in my life. 

O'Neill still worries about the events back on Earth but only when he's not holding our son. Small Sebal'c brings only joy with his sweet smile and happy nature. When I see him, I give thanks to the God of Mercy. Our children on Home will never know war, or at least, that is what we all wish.

"Teal'c?" Dr. Mallard approaches me, and I lean down a little to hear him better over the many conversations around us in the dining hall. "I wonder if I might ask a few questions about the Gou'ald you host?"

"Certainly, Doctor." I smile at him, enjoying his enthusiasm and curiosity about the Jaffa. Perhaps he will be the one who solves the dilemma of maturing Gou'ald? O'Neill still worries I shall leave him alone but that is not possible. He owns me body and soul.

Our conversation is soon joined by Janet, carrying baby Te'ak who's been fussing a bit. The moment he reaches my arms, he quiets and begins chewing on his tiny fingers. Perhaps it is my scent or some primal coding of his DNA but he bonded with me at birth, the same way he did with O'Neill. I am very glad Terry and Janet wish us to be active fathers to our children.

When the talk turns to scientific formulas, I excuse myself to find my mate. It has been too long since I last breathed in my One. He and Terry are nursing Sebal'c and Jonathan in a corner of the room. There is no more beautiful sight, I think. The look of contentment on both their faces is good to see. Terry's nipple falls from Jonathan's lips when I arrive as if he knows it is Te'ak's turn. We trade babies so I can burp the tiny miniature of my One.

O'Neill's smile is tender when he slides a little closer to Terry on the bench so I may sit beside him. His body now heats my whole left side, and the need to take him to our beach is strong. Sebal'c finishes sucking and my One puts him to his shoulder to begin the same patting I am doing to small Jonathan. Their burps come in unison.

Terry laughs out loud. "Stereo burping – now how did I not know that was coming?"

O'Neill teases her. "We're working on trio burping next – or even quad-burping if we can just get Cheyenne in sync with them."

She laughs harder. "We'll have our own chorus when Grae'c joins in – maybe even some harmony. We're so lucky."

I agree wholeheartedly. "Each day brings more joy than I ever thought possible."

O'Neill's eyes look into mine. "You said it, my Own. Now if we could just get Mother Earth to work a little more on changing the human men who want to bear children, it would be just perfect."

//finished yesterday// the somewhat smug tones of the my One's former planet fills my head

"That's great!" O'Neill immediately searches for Anthony and Gibbs.

They are seated very close to each other, talking to Mel'tic and Gaal'c near the table of finger food my old friend prepared. We leave Terry for the moment, joining them to pass on the good news. Mother Earth tells them herself while we watch their faces.

Anthony's smile can not be brighter while Gibbs' whole face momentarily freezes. He still fears this and I see his mate realize it. Great sadness flashes through his green eyes before his lips lose a little of the joy.

"That's wonderful, Mother. Perhaps you can change me for your test subject? Jethro and I can use condoms until we're ready to create a child." His hand strokes his mate's soothingly. Such love and commitment is good to see.

"Are you sure, Tony?" Gibbs reaches for his hand, and Anthony grips it with a reassuring smile.

"I'm sure, Jethro. We won't rush ahead but I do want the option in place if . . . if we ever decide to procreate." He speaks with restrained passion. "I love you, Jethro. Some day, if we're lucky, we can grow our love even more."

"O-o-okay," Gibbs breathes deeply. "Mother, I guess we're ready."

And with that, she teleports them away. I cuddle O'Neill close to my chest. "We will pray for them both, my One."

He nods. "I just hope Gibbs realizes how strong Tony's need is before it's too late."

********* Ezra ********* 

I am really scared. Loud crashes are coming closer to my closet. It sounds like giants picking up the furniture and throwing it around. There are ripping sounds too, like knives slashing through pillows. I don't think it's Mr. Rivers anymore. I haven't heard his voice since the loud bangs.

My skin is cold and my chest hurts. I felt that way once before, when my last foster mother came looking for me with a big hammer. Her eyes were scary, and she was humming a song that hurt my ears. I ran fast out the backdoor and into the garden. She looked for me until the neighbor's dog distracted her with its barking. I think she did something bad then, but I'm not sure what it was.

The neighbor called the police. They came and found me hiding under the big pine tree. I never saw her again because they took me back to juvenile hall. I don't like it there because the big kids like to pick on me for being so small. But I get to eat three times a day, bathe three times a week, and have a bed to myself where it's safe to sleep.

I have to leave. Now. Gulping, I creep to the door and listen. The footsteps are coming closer, and there are at least two pair of them. Silently, I push the door open just big enough for me to see. There's nobody here just yet but they're close. Luckily, I'm on the first floor so I streak across the room to the window. I'd rubbed the sides with the stub of a candle so it opens real quietly.

The screen is torn so I pull myself up and out of the window in one fast wiggle. It's a long way down to the ground but I'm getting more and more scared. I hit the ground kind of hard but there isn't time to be hurt. The door to my room is opening. My ankle hurts really bad but I force it to work while limping behind the bushes to the side of the house. 

There is a wooded lot between this house and the last one on the block. Mr. Rivers told me a real mean old man lives there, and I am never ever to bother him. He said the neighbor would shoot me because he's somebody in the government, and has lots of secrets he's hiding. But right now, he can't be any worse then the bad men in Mr. River's house. 

My ankle hurts really bad now, and sharp pains are stabbing me but I have to get away. Running through the woods, I shiver. It's cold out, and I don't have a coat. I haven't had one since two foster homes ago.

Should I go to the front door and knock? Biting my lip, I hesitate on the edge of the woods. The house looks kind of sad. It's gray with white shutters, and it feels empty. Maybe the man who lives here is on vacation or something? Hugging my arms tight around my body, I take a step onto his lawn. Then another, and another until I'm right in front of the wood door.

There's a lion's head on the door knocker but it's up way too high for me to reach. So I knock once. I can hear it echo through the house, and I just know there's nobody home. That means there's no one to hear me. I want to cry so badly but I mustn't. I've got to be brave but it's harder than it's ever been before. I wish I . . . I lean against the door as if that would make it open.

And it does. It really, really does, just like magic. Should I go in? It's warm inside, I can feel the air from the hall floor vent. Will the man shoot me when he comes home? Maybe I can hide and rest for a little while until he returns. Suddenly I hear sounds from the woods, and that makes up my mind really fast.

Sliding in through the small gap, I shut the door really quietly behind me. I can just reach the dead bolt underneath the doorknob, and I use both hands to turn it to the locked position. Then my ankle gives out, and I fall to the floor. I'm sniffling a little but I just wipe the tears away with my shirt sleeve.

It's warm here, and the shivers slowly start to subside. A long rug runs down the hall to an open doorway, showing a kitchen. My tummy growls, and I bite my lip. Would it be all right to go get a drink of water? That helps sometimes when I'm hungry. Water is free so it wouldn't be stealing, I tell myself.

There's nobody to see so I start crawling to save my ankle. The rug is nice and clean so the man who lives here must be okay. Bad people don't ever seem to run the sweeper or dust unless they get somebody like me to do it for them. I learned how to dust and make beds when I was three. That foster mother liked to pinch so I was black and blue the whole six months I lived with her.

But I learned to take care of myself then so it isn't so bad, I guess. Once in the kitchen, I take a careful look around. It's clean all over or at least it smells clean. The floor isn't sticky; the chairs are pushed in under the pretty wood table; there aren't any dishes sitting out with dried food on them – I hate that. If I push a chair over to the sink, I'll be able to crawl up and get a drink.

It takes more energy than I think it should but I guess maybe it's been longer than I thought since I last ate. But I'm finally sitting on the counter with the spigots in front of me. There is a glass sitting in the drainer upside down. It's kind of heavy but I get it under the faucet, and turn on the cold water. I only fill it half-full since it will be too heavy to lift if I fill it too far. It tastes good so I drink it all, and go back for seconds.

My eyes look all around up here. It's pretty white tiles with green ones set in a kind of random pattern on the counter, and up the wall to the cabinets. I'm really hungry now I've had something to drink but food isn't free. There's a big bowl of apples and bananas near the side with the refrigerator. Maybe the man wouldn't miss one? I think about it for a long time but when my tummy growls loud, I decide to eat one.

I'll pay him back somehow. I pick the smallest one, and bite into it. It's sweet and crunchy. I like apples but I've learned not to be picky. Food is food. I'm careful not to get any juice on the tiles, and I eat every single bit except for the stem and the seeds. Getting back down hurts since my ankle buckles when I try to put weight on it. Looks like I'll be crawling for a little while until it heals.

Carefully, I put the seeds and stem into the garbage can under the sink. Then I push the chair back under the table, and head for the hall again. There's a closet there and I'm sleepy. It's nice and warm in here, and a jacket has fallen off a hangar so I have something to cover me with. There's an old scarf tossed in the corner so I even have a pillow for my head.

I want to smile but I'm a little worried about when the owner comes home. Will he be really mad I came in? Could Mr. Rivers be right about him shooting me? And what's happening back at my old house? Are the bad men still there? I hug the jacket closer to me. It smells of something nice, and it's soft on the inside – almost like fur.

I suddenly wish I could just stay here. Maybe the man could use a foster child like me. I can cook a little, clean real good, and I can be very quiet. I don't need much food 'cause I'm used to being hungry so I wouldn't be eggs-pensive like my last foster mom thought I'd be. This place smelled good, kind of like that faint memory of someone who rocked me and sang softly.

Maybe he'll be nice. Maybe he'll let me stay until my ankle feels better. I yawn wide, almost forgetting to cover my mouth. I like being warm even if the floor is a little hard. It's clean and that's even better. I'll have to sleep lightly in case the man comes home and realizes I'm here.

I hope he talks first instead of hitting right away. I hope he's nice.

****************************


	14. Chapter 14

********* Gibbs ********* 

Part of me is curious about what Mother is going to do to Tony but most of me is gibbering at the very thought of having kids. Sebal'c is a cute little boy but mostly the babies on Home are drooling little bundles of need. I know I'm not main stream in this feeling. Everybody at the party we just left is gaga over them. Ducky cuddling little Cheyenne was cute but she is so tiny, there's no way I want to hold her.

Tony is nervous but so am I. Mother transports us to our bedroom at my place before speaking to us again.

//Tony needs to rest afterwards// she informs us

I help him undress before he slides into bed. He holds out his hand to me, and I quickly strip to join him. Under the covers, I cuddle him close. 

He takes a deep breath, and lets it out slowly. "Okay, Mother, I'm ready."

Nothing seems to happen for a long moment then slowly Tony's skin begins to glow. I'm so busy watching the light radiating from his skin I don't notice his facial expression changing. But when I do look, his face is a mask of pain. Before I can panic, he gasps, his whole body going rigid in my arms, and then melting like wax.

"Tony!" I shout, afraid to hold him too tightly. "What's wrong?"

//changes go deep// her thought is apologetic

"It's . . . okay . . . Jethro," his voice is just short of a whisper. "Sleep . . . now."

"I've got you, Tony." I soothe a kiss to the tender skin at his temple. "Sweet dreams, love."

His lips tilt up a hair before slackening in sleep. He's a brave man, my Tony. I don't understand this need he has but I'm going to have to if I want to keep him happy. Maybe if I spend more time with the kids of Home, I'll come to understand what he's feeling. I mean it feels good that he loves me so much he wants to give us a child. But I just never felt the need for a son or daughter.

I fall asleep still wondering where this will end.

********* Ezra ********* 

A shout wakes me up. Was it inside or outside? Has the owner come home? I shiver all over, bumping my ankle when I move too fast to sit up. White-hot pain flashes through it, and I have to bite my fingers to keep from whimpering out loud. I touch it gingerly, and it's all swollen. It's dark in the closet but I think it will be all red 'cause it feels really hot.

It feels like my arm did when I fell two homes ago. That foster mother told me it was my fault because I was a clumsy, disrespectful child. I had to wear a cast for six long weeks, and I never wanted to do that again. Maybe it's just sprained, I tell myself over and over until the pain feels a little less.

The closet door isn't quite shut just like it was when I went to sleep. Maybe the owner isn't home yet, and the shout really was outside. I'm feeling hot all over, and I really need another glass of water. Taking a deep breath, I awkwardly crawl out of the closet. I look around carefully but there's nothing different in the hall or what I can see in the kitchen.

It takes a long time to crawl there, and I hurt all over when I reach the table. The counter seems awfully tall when I look up but I'm really thirsty so I pull the chair over to climb up. I have to cry once I get there because I jar my ankle. Rocking back and forth a little seems to help so I rest a while before turning on the water. My hands are shaking, and I don't fill it as full as before.

It tastes even better now so I drink three more times before regretfully putting the glass back in the drainer and hopping down to the chair. I need a bathroom. I really hope there's one on this floor. I don't want to climb the stairs. Once on the floor again, I decide hopping will be faster so I keep a hand on the wall, and venture into the living room. 

It's nice with a comfortable looking leather sofa. I'd really like to sleep on it instead of the floor but what if the owner comes home and finds me? He might shoot me. Maybe once it's dark I can try it out. There's a door further down so I hop on, and peek into the room. It's full of bookcases and lots and lots of boxes. One of them is open so I look inside, and see big books stacked on top of each other.

Wow, he's got a lot of books. But why are they in boxes still? Maybe new people moved in recently? Maybe they're nice. I hug myself, hoping even though I know I shouldn't. There's another door leading out of this room, and I hop over to find a little bathroom. It's just a toilet and sink but real clean with pretty yellow towels. It will be easier to get water here 'cause all I'll have to do is climb up on the toilet seat.

There's even a matching yellow plastic glass on the sink top that won't be so heavy to lift. I unfasten my jeans and push them down with my droopy underwear. They're from my last home, and probably hand-me-downs from some other kid before me. They're dirty, and I hate being dirty but maybe I can wash them in the sink before the owner comes home. I hop up so I can sit and pee. I'm careful, making sure I don't spray anywhere. I don't need to poop so I wipe carefully before sliding back down.

Getting everything buttoned and zipped takes me longer because of my ankle. I'm right, it's red and purple. I almost forget to flush but I remember before leaving. I'll wash my hands later when I get thirsty. Back in the cluttered room, I investigate it a little more before heading for the sofa. Do I take a chance? Biting my lip, I decide to lie down for just a little.

I really like it. There's even a soft pillow for my head. I don't need a blanket because I'm really, really hot. Oh, this is much better than the floor.

********* Tony ********* 

I snap awake. Blinking my eyes slowly, I wonder why. Jethro's arm is lying across my stomach, and I can feel some lingering ache inside of me. Part of me is wondering what Mother did to my body while part is pondering what awakened me. Jethro snores a little. He does that especially when he's on his stomach.

It's a gurgle in the pipes that finally clues me in. The downstairs toilet sounds like that when it flushes. I blink again. Why in the world would it be flushing? Sitting up, I listen for any other sounds of an intruder.

"Tony?" Jethro's sleepy voice comes from the squished pillow.

I throw back the covers, leaving the bed. "I thought I heard the downstairs toilet flush."

"What?" He wakes up quickly and joins me. "Why would a burglar use the john?"

I grin at him, saying in a low voice, "One with bladder problems?"

"Very funny," he whispers, grabbing his gun from the bedside table drawer while I'm shrugging on my robe and tying it off.

My gun is locked up in the gun locker in our closet so I grab the malachite ball that usually sits in the window on my side of the bed. My fast throw should take out anybody I can see. 

At the top of the stairs, we pause to listen but there's no sound at all.

We creep down and I check the kitchen before coming back to Jethro. It may be inappropriate but all I can really think of is how cute he looks wearing only a pair of boxers. The hall closet is slightly open, and Jethro checks it out before we head into the living room. We kept my sofa when I moved in a month ago. And we definitely kept my TV and stereo system.

Something green on the sofa catches my eye. Easing over, I blink twice before touching Jethro's arm. There's a child in a green t-shirt, sound asleep on the cushions. He has dark hair curling all over his head but his skin is flushed, and I need to touch him to check the fever I suspect he has. Catching Jethro's eye, I jerk my head back towards the stairs, and mime him getting a little more dressed.

Touching the gun still in his hand, I make a cutting movement. He nods, his eyes going back to the small figure with such an amazed look. I know exactly what he's feeling, surprise, shock, and worry. He leaves like the cat I call him while I quietly move around the sofa to sit on the coffee table. In the light from the window my eyes travel slowly down the small body. 

His clothes are dirty; I count at least three bruises on the small arms; his t-shirt is too big for him, likely a hand-me-down, I decide. But when I reach his feet, I spot potential trouble. His left ankle is three times its normal size, streaked with purple bruising. I wince in sympathy. That has to hurt, and may be one of the reasons his little face is scrunched in pain even while asleep.

Jethro appears by my side, and I gesture him over to the old recliner so we don't scare the kid half to death. Taking a deep breath, I reach over to gently stroke the tiny hand nearest me. He flinches awake with startling speed, scooting away until the sofa back stops him. And my heart breaks at the tell-tale sign. He's been abused on a regular basis.

Takes one to know one.

"Hi, my name is Tony. You're safe here, little one. We're not going to hurt you. I promise."

His eyes dart around the room until they find Jethro, trying to look open and friendly. He's still tense but when his eyes come back to me, they're brave. "Ezra . . . my name is Ezra."

I smile tenderly. "Nice to meet you, Ezra. We just got home from a little trip. I'm glad you were able to come in where it's warm. But we're curious why you're not at home."

"Bad men came." His voice trembles when he remembers. "Big bangs and then crashing sounds. I ran away."

"Where did the bad men come?" 

He points to the west. "Mr. Rivers' house on the other side of the woods."

"Are you Ezra Rivers?" I didn't think the man had kids.

He shakes his head. "Foster center sent me to him last week."

I close my eyes while silently cursing the foster system. Dave Rivers has at least two priors for violence, and they're still sending him foster children. Opening my eyes, I send him another reassuring smile. "It's okay, Ezra. Can you tell me when your ankle got hurt?"

He flinches again, and I make a silent vow to personally hurt Rivers if he is the cause. Ezra sits up a little to speak. "Went out the window. I kind of fell a little but the bad men were coming, and I was scared."

"You don't have to be scared here, Ezra." Jethro's voice startles me and Ezra, too. "I promise you're safe, and I'm glad you let yourself in."

Those blue eyes of his promise safety to our little waif, and I give him a grateful smile.

Ezra's voice is stronger when he nods to Jethro. "Thank you, Sir. The door opened like magic so I could come inside."

Magic, I may just start believing in it myself. For now, we need to get a doctor to see him. If the ankle is broken, he needs a cast. "Ezra, I know a nice doctor who will look at your ankle and fix it. Do you mind if we take you to him?"

He blinks up at me as if no one has ever asked his permission for anything. Then he nods slowly. "I broke my arm once. It kind of feels like that now."

Poor kid, I know what he means. "I've broken bones before, too. Not a nice feeling but Ducky will fix you right up. Is it all right if I carry you? That way you don't have to hop."

He thinks about that for a long moment but we've got time. Then he nods again. "Okay. Um, what should I call you?"

"Call me Tony for now. And that's Gibbs over there. Would you like another glass of water while we get dressed? I'll bet you're hot and thirsty?"

His wide-eyed look tells me I read his mind. Been there, done that, little one. "Yes, please. I used the glass in the drainer. Oh!" He bites his lip and splits a look between us. "I took an apple from the big bowl. I didn't mean to steal but I was hungry. I can do chores to pay you back."

An apple, he's afraid we're upset about an apple. There's a boulder in my throat the size of DC. Luckily, Jethro finds his voice first. "Ezra, I'm glad you ate the apple. I would never refuse a hungry person food. You don't have to do any chores for food, I promise. Do you like bananas?"

"Yes, Sir." His little head nods.

"Good, I'll fix you a banana while Tony gets you a glass of water. Then we'll dress and take you to Ducky." Jethro stands up slowly but Ezra still flinches a little. "On second thought, I'll get your banana and water while Tony keeps you company."

I know what he's thinking. One of us needs to stay with him. The urge to run and hide is ingrained in an abused child. I know the syndrome well. But Ezra is going to have a better outcome. No way in hell is he going back into the system that failed him.

********* Jack ********* 

Jethro and Tony return as the party is winding down. A hush falls over the room when we see the little boy clasped protectively in Tony's arms. Big green eyes stare back at us, and I wonder at how like Tony's they are.

"Ducky, we have a patient for you." Jethro singles out the good doctor. "Ezra hurt his ankle earlier today."

"My goodness, Ezra, that looks like it hurts. Why don't we go to the medical center here so I can examine it?" His reassuring smile draws an answering smile from the little boy. "Now, my name is Dr. Mallard but my friends call me Ducky. I can see we're going to be good friends."

They leave but Jethro stays behind. All eyes turn to him while he gives us the brief story behind the little boy. He finishes up with, "Tony thinks the ankle may be broken. I've got to go back check out the Rivers house. If Rivers isn't already dead, I may kill him myself. Those bruises on Ezra's arms are a couple of days old. Bastard."

I hug Sebal'c closer to me. "Agreed, Jethro but you can't go alone."

"I'll go with you, Boss." McGee steps up, looking determined.

"Good, let's go so we can get back quickly." Jethro nods to the rest of us before the two of them disappear.

Well, I'll admit my curiosity is in high gear so with a quick jerk of my head at Teal'c, we hotfoot it down to the medical center. Maybe Sebal'c will make Ezra more comfortable with all the changes he's undergoing. I've noticed a babbling baby brings more smiles than frowns. And if the protectiveness Tony is radiating is anything to go by, our son just got a big boy cousin.

The door slides open silently for us. Ezra is sitting on the exam table with his jeans off and a soft blanket across his legs to give him some modesty. Tony is beside him with one arm wrapped protectively around the small shoulders. The little boy is biting his lip hard while his hands twist the blanket with a white knuckled grip. Ducky is trying hard to be gentle but the swollen monstrosity that is his ankle is going to react to any touch.

"Hi, Ezra, my name is Jack, and this is my mate, Teal'c. I'm sorry you got hurt." I try to distract him from the pain. "This is our son, Sebal'c. He's four months old tomorrow. How old are you?"

He looks at us, tilting his head a little to one side. "I'm five. I think my birthday was last month."

Bastard system, he's obviously not celebrated a birthday in his memory. I catch a twist in Tony's lips before he cuddles the little boy a little closer. "Well, that's good to know, Ezra. Jethro told us about how brave you were, escaping from the bad men. He went to check out the neighbor's house."

"Alone?" Tony's head snaps up.

"No, Anthony, McGee went with him." Teal'c reassures him.

He relaxes. "Good, that's good."

"Home, can you tell me if there's a broken bone in Ezra's ankle?" Ducky speaks out loud, and I see Ezra looking around for the person he's talking to.

//small bone snapped in two// is her sorrowful answer

"Ah, I was afraid of that." Ducky sighs. "It's too swollen to put a cast on right now. We'll wrap it up for support, and wait for the swelling to go down."

"Could I wash first?" Ezra turns his head up to see Tony's face.

"That's an excellent idea, Ezra. How about we show you a special place here at Home?" Tony smiles at him. "Have you ever seen a waterfall?" 

Ezra shakes his head. 

"Well, it's a place where the water cascades into a pool of warm water."

Good choice. I'll bet the kid has never seen the ocean so that might be a bit scary. The waterfall chamber will be grand enough for his first glimpse at the world of water.

"May we come too? Sebal'c loves splashing." I smile at Ezra, and get my first real smile from the little boy. Oh, he is a charmer. "And maybe Sam, Janet and Terry could find some clean clothes for you to change into? Would that be all right, Ezra?"

He looks a little bewildered at being asked his opinion. "I don't want to be an eggs-pense."

Tony grimaces before smoothing his expression. "Not to worry, Ezra, the girls will enjoy getting big boy clothes since all they have are babies at the moment. I promise they'll get you something nice and not expensive at all."

Ducky nods decisively. "Be gentle with the ankle, Tony. Once he's clean and dry, I'll wrap it up and put some ice on it. I'll just go and ask the ladies to prepare to shop."

"Take the old clothes with you, Ducky. They're too big but it will give them a place to start. Ezra, do you mind taking off your t-shirt for me? We'll wrap the blanket around you so you'll stay warm." Tony gently strokes the dark curls.

"Okay," Ezra nods, sitting upright and peeling off the slightly raggedy shirt. There are more bruises on the small torso, and I turn away to give him some privacy.

All I can think is that torture is too good for the foster parent who should have been taking care of this little boy. Taking a deep breath, I lean against my mate and let him hold me close. Sebal'c senses my turmoil, and pats my face with his tiny hand. I nuzzle the top of his head, and immediately feel better.

********* Samantha ********* 

I cuddle Cheyenne closer and listen to Ducky's report. How in the world could someone be cruel to that precious little boy? The pathetic hand-me-downs the doctor hands us are just another reminder of how the system failed Ezra.

"Danny, take the baby. This calls for power shopping." I say decisively, handing our daughter over. "Sweetheart, be good for Mama. We'll be back in an hour or so."

Janet nods too. "Let's get the slings for Te'ak and Jonathan. We're coming, too."

Abby is practically bouncing. "Can Kate and I come, too? Pretty please."

She's such a hoot, I think with a grin. "Good idea, Abby the more eyes, the better."

Danny kisses me goodbye while Mel'tic starts quizzing Ducky on what little human boys might like to eat. It looks like grilled cheese sandwiches will be on the menu shortly.

Once we're all gathered together, I ask Home to send us to San Francisco and the children's clothes store next to 'Stylin' Mamas'. 'Cool Kids' knows Terry, Janet and I by name so we introduce Abby and Kate to our favorite store clerk, Wendy.

"We need something a little different, this time, Wendy. One of our friends just adopted a five year old boy and he came with literally nothing but the clothes on his back." I smile at her. "He needs everything from underwear to shoes but he's seriously underweight and undersized so I'm not sure about his size."

"Cool, we can fit him from head to toe." She bounces in place, kind of like Abby is doing. "If he's small for his age, let's start with four year old sizes for now. You can get his measurements later. Anything you take today, if it doesn't fit, just bring it back and exchange it."

So we dive into the brightly colored racks, splitting up by type of clothes. Kate shops for shoes and socks; Abby heads for pants; Janet and Terry start pulling out shirts while I head for underwear. The briefs that Ducky showed us were obviously destined for the dustbin when they were given to Ezra. I wonder if he liked superheroes or cartoon characters.

From what I know of Tony, he'd probably choose cartoons so I pull out two different sizes of cotton briefs covered with Tweety Bird and Sylvester the Cat. Maybe they'd make the little boy smile. T-shirts are right next to the underwear so I start leafing through them. A Kermit the Frog shirt catches my eye, and I remember what a brilliant green Ezra's eyes are.

This will do nicely, I think with a smile.

"Oh, this is adorable." Terry holds up a little polo shirt in bright green. "Doesn't Tony have a shirt just like this?"

Janet nods. "He wore it for the barbeque last week. They'll look so cute together."

"Hey, guys, were the sneakers too big, too?" Kate is holding up a pair of little Nike's.

Abby has a pair of black jeans in her hands. "The one foot is so swollen, it was kind of hard to tell. Do you think Gibbs will freak if I get Ezra his own Goth outfit?"

Kate starts laughing. "Absolutely . . . get a pair of plain for after he starts glaring."

Having caught the Gibbs' Glare, suitably muted after a few drinks, I start to snicker. "Tony looks great in black so I expect Ezra will, too. And we all know how Gibbs enjoys looking at Tony."

We're all smiling when we go back to looking. By the time we check out, Wendy is beaming. Even if we have to bring some things back, little Ezra will be fashionably dressed for any occasion. Teleporting back to Home, we assemble back in the guest quarters where Tony and Gibbs stay when they visit. Unwrapping everything takes almost as long as the shopping trip did.

********* Ezra ********* 

The waterfall is so neat. I like watching it fall and splash. The water is nice and warm. Tony washes me so gently it doesn't even hurt. Baby Seb is splashing next to me, his daddy holding him safely. His other daddy is really big, and he has a big x on his stomach that looks like a scar. Maybe he was in a car accident.

I like it here. Tony stays by me when I'm done washing. He's just wearing boxers like Jack and Teal are wearing shorts. It must be really warm here although I don't know where we are. Tony had me close my eyes when we were ready to leave for the doctor. My head kind of ached for a second then we were here in this new place. I don't quite understand but Tony said he'd eggs-plain it to me later. I feel safe here with him and his friends. There are an awful lot of babies around but Jack said Seb is the oldest before I came.

Does that mean I can stay here, too? I bite my lip and try not to wish too hard.

"What's wrong, Ezra?" Tony strokes my hair.

Looking up into eyes almost the same color as mine, I decide to ask. "Can I stay with you, Tony?"

"Yes," he says at once. "You are not going back into the system. If they raise a fuss, we'll just move you here to Home while Jethro and I commute to work. Home is a very special place. How much do you know about outer space and the space program, Ezra?"

I frown a little. "I watched a show called Nova once. It was about the planet Mars, and how we sent a little robot up to 'splore it."

"Good boy," Jack smiles at me. "Home is another planet kind of like Mars or planet Earth where you were born."

"Are you aliens?" I gasp a little.

"Not all of us, Ezra, we were born on Earth except for Sebal'c and his father, Teal'c. Seb was born here on Home while Teal'c was born on another planet called Chulak." Jack tells me. "Some of other friends are from Chulak. You'll meet them later."

"Did we travel in a space ship?" I thought that took a long time.

"No, we traveled with the help of Home, the same way Jethro went back to Earth to check out the neighborhood." Tony hugs me a little closer and that feels so good. "Home is a special planet who can talk to us inside our heads."

//welcome, Ezra, I'm glad you're here//

"Wow, she talked to me, Tony." I feel her wrapping me in a warm hug just like Tony's but inside my head instead.

"That's because you're a very smart little boy, Ezra." He drops a kiss on my head, and I look up at him with amazement.

I can't remember ever being kissed before. Hesitantly I put my arms as far around him as I can, returning his hug. Maybe I've found a real home with someone who can love me. Maybe.

***********************************


	15. Chapter 15

********* Gibbs ********* 

McGee calls 911 the moment we open the door and find blood spattered everywhere. River's body lies in the middle of the hall and looks curiously depleted, like a child's toy without its stuffing. My stomach is churning at the very thought Ezra might have been caught by the sadists who killed the man and tore his house apart. Tim keeps watch while I run back to my place for my ID. The cops aren't going to take my word of who I am without proof.

But a little luck comes our way when Sergeant Woods gets out of the first squad car. He and I are friends from way back. Shaking his hand, I nod briskly. "Hey, Woods, I'm glad it's you. Rivers is dead and the place is a mess. The front door was ajar when I drove home, and I was curious so I came over to check it out."

"He's on our drug watch list." Woods opens the door and gets his first glimpse of the blood. "Whoa, what all did they do to him? Mike," he calls back to the cop still in the patrol car. "Get the lab guys here, pronto. It's a bloodbath." He lets the door swing shut behind him. "Nasty. Glad old Mrs. Hennie from the other side didn't see it first. She'd have had a heart attack."

"Yeah," I'm saying silent prayers myself. "Oh, Woods, this is Special Agent Tim McGee, one of my team. Tim, this is Alan Woods, one of Arlington's finest." They shake hands. "We'll type up our statements for you, Woods. Tim will bring them over when they're finished." 

Then we calmly leave for my house. Once inside, I finally breathe a little easier.

"Boss, why didn't we tell him about Ezra?" McGee is trying to figure it out but he's missing a piece of Tony's psychology.

"Did you see the way Tony was holding him?" I head for the kitchen and the coffee maker. I need caffeine before writing a bunch of lies.

"Yes, I saw him." Tim follows me with the little wrinkle between his eyes that Abby calls cute.

"Tony bonded with him the moment their eyes met. If you think for one minute, he's letting go of Ezra, you'd be wrong." I measure out the coffee and pour in the carafe of water that Tim hands me. "Mother, it's a faint chance but could you check Ezra's DNA to see if he has any relatives living?"

//already did, no one alive// her thought is sad //I fixed it//

Tim and I share a puzzled look before I ask the question we're both thinking. "How can you fix that?"

//changed it to match Tony's// is her smug answer 

What? I barely keep my mouth closed. Tim looks like he swallowed a lemon. 

//Tony said it was all right, this way Ezra already belongs with you//

She's so matter of fact, I gulp and urge the coffee maker to work faster. "O-okay, Mother. Thank you."

"How are we going to explain this?" Tim asks in bewilderment.

And my brain kicks into high gear. "The sperm bank from his college days – some woman used it to have a baby then got . . . uh, killed and nobody knew to contact Tony because he isn't listed as the father. We'll need to find out what Ezra's full name is."

Tim shakes himself all over. "Where's Tony's laptop? I'll log on and find out what we need to know. The Department of Human Services uses a real antiquated system. I should be able to access it from here."

"It's in the den on the desk. You'll need to move a few boxes to get to it. He rewired the phone jack so it gets the DSL service which should be ready to go." I pour a cup of coffee, and give it to him before getting another cup for myself. "I'll write up the report for Woods. Then I'll pack a bag for Tony. I don't think he's going to want to come back until Ezra feels better."

"Right, Boss." Tim leaves with his cup while I breathe the lovely scent of fresh brewed coffee into my lungs.

My eyes fall on the bowl of fruit and I recall the fear in Ezra's voice when he admitted he'd eaten an apple. The very thought of that little boy being hungry on an ongoing basis makes my heart hurt. Maybe this family thing can work after all? He isn't a baby but a small person with his own thoughts and feelings.

Tony isn't letting go even if I waffle. So I better not give him a reason for leaving me for a pint-sized version of himself. And that's when it hits me, what Mother has done. She changed a little boy's DNA to match my Tony's. For the first time, I realize just how powerful our sentient planet really is.

It's a damn good thing she loves us. I shake my head and take the coffee upstairs to pack a bag while Tim uses the computer. I'm already thinking about how to winkle Ezra out of the system. I wonder if I should call Rabb over at JAG. He's a good lawyer and might be able to cut through the red tape.

********* Teal'c ********* 

My One is playing 'blow a raspberry on his offspring's stomach' while I watch indulgently. It's an ever fascinating game between the two of them that Sebal'c never tires of. We are sitting on a blanket in our special cove which we share with Anthony, Jethro, and Ezra.

It's the little boy's second day on Home and he's gazing wide-eyed at the ocean. I remember the first time I saw such a large body of water – I was mesmerized. I smile down at our giggling son. The ocean is just a big bathtub for him. He has no fear of the water and by the time he is a year old, he will be as good as we at swimming. That makes me feel better about his safety.

"Tony, how big is the ocean?" Ezra looks up at the tall man sitting beside him.

"It's pretty big, Ezra but I'm not sure just how large." He smiles at him. "Home, how big is your ocean?" 

//biggest water, covers most of me//

"Wow, that's really big," Ezra pats the sand between his legs. "Thank you, Home."

//you're welcome// her mental reply is like a warm hug to all of us

"Are you ready to wade, Ezra?" Jethro asks him.

He looks up at his second guardian with barely controlled excitement. "Yes, please, if you'll hold my hand?"

"You bet I will." Jethro's smile is bigger than I've ever seen it.

Anthony is beaming at both of them. "First we need to cover up your cast. Ducky told us we can't get it wet."

Ezra stands up between the two men, and Jethro holds him steady while Anthony pulls a plastic bag up over the blue plaster that encases his lower leg and foot. A rubber band holds the top tight around his knee.

"Is it too tight, Ezra?" Anthony asks him anxiously.

"Nope, can we go down now?" Ezra is being polite but his eagerness is easy to see.

"Here we go, Ezra." Jethro holds one little hand while Anthony takes the other.

His gait is awkward but nothing is going to keep him from wading into the ocean. My One leans into me while we watch the little boy feel the rushing tide beneath his feet. The happy giggles make us both smile.

"Thank god Ezra escaped to their house." O'Neill kisses my cheek. "I can't bear to think of that sweet kid being abused. Do you think Home could do the same DNA changes in a body that Mother Earth did?"

//of course I can// her thought is indignant

I can feel O'Neill's smile in my shoulder where he's hiding his face. "I hope we never need you to do so but it is good to know you can if we need it."

He raises his head and looks thoughtfully at the three playing in the surf. Anthony and Gibbs are swinging the little boy above each wave while he giggles happily. "You know, there are kids on Earth who could use a good home, and people who love them, Teal'c."

I wondered when he might think of this. "Very true, my One, both on Earth and Chulak. We have much love to give such a child."

His smile is so bright it rivals the sun. "You big softie, I love you."

Our kiss is comfortable rather than passionate. Having children quiets passion unless they are asleep. O'Neill just tells me we're getting to be old-time lovers. I think I shall surprise him when Sebal'c goes down for his nap. I do not feel old when I have him in my arms.

But our son is demanding attention, and my mate's nipple. O'Neill settles into my arms while Sebal'c nurses. I still believe it the most beautiful sight in any world. The sun is moving towards the horizon while another day draws to a close. I look for the others, and find them walking slowly back to their blanket. Ezra is looking at O'Neill with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Tony, what is Jack doing?" He asks before sitting down next to Jethro.

"Jack is nursing Sebal'c. When a person gives birth to a baby, they can feed them with their own milk. Some use a bottle and cow's milk but others nurse with their nipples," Tony says matter-of-factly.

"Oh, can anybody do it?" 

"No, just people who give birth to their babies, Ezra. Maybe someday if I get pregnant, you can watch your little brother or sister nurse from me." He smiles down at his new son while Ezra looks back and forth between his guardians.

I watch Jethro give a little smile and reach out for his mate's hand. "We'll explain it more when you get older. Someday in the future, we'll both watch you. Ezra will be a great big brother."

And Anthony's smile is bright.

********* Jack Malone ********* 

I don't remember ever being this tired. Ever since our planet announced its sentience, violence and disappearances seem to be the norm. I've been sleeping on my couch here in the office because there's no reason to go back to the tiny apartment I now call home. 

For the first time since my divorce, I'm glad the girls are with Marie, safe in suburban Chicago. They seem to have fewer crazies.

"Jack?" The gentle tap at my door brings my head up so I can watch my crappy day turn golden.

"Come on in, Martin." I damn well hope I'm not showing anything inappropriate in my gaze but oh-h . . . what I want to do with my beautiful agent.

Sunshine and beaches, that's what I think about when I look at him. His smile is the sunshine and his tan I like to fantasize goes all the way down to his cute toes. Not that I know if his toes are cute, I blink to clear the strong urge to ask him to take off his shoes and socks so I can find out.

"When did you last eat, Jack?" Martin's voice is always soft when he talks to me.

I like to think of it as bedroom soft. I replay the last sentence. "Um, dinner?"

"On what day, Jack?" There's a little smile on those kissable lips, and he's coming around the desk while my eyes track him hypnotically. "Upsy-daisy, Jack, we're going downstairs for some food. Then I'm taking you home for a good night's sleep."

"Not really a home anymore, Martin." I let him prod me out of the office and down the hall. "Just a place to eat and sleep."

"I know about that, Jack." His hand is warm on my arm. "My place has been in the family for three generations but some days I feel like an interloper. I'm not a very good Fitzgerald."

"Yes, you are." I frown and straighten up a little. "You're one of the best agents in the state."

His slow curling smile and slight blush is breathtaking. "Thank you, Jack. I appreciate it." He pushes the button for the elevator and I watch those long, elegant fingers. "Don't think we haven't noticed you pushing your limits, Jack. We drew straws to see who got to take you home."

"You lost, huh?" I wish he wouldn't stand so close. I have a strong urge to lean into him and that would be inappropriate.

The slow smile is back, the one that makes me smile, too. "No, Jack, I won. In you go."

He won? I mull over that puzzling statement. Does that mean he wanted to take me home? Nah, that can't be. I'm just his middle aged boss. Beautiful man like him wants a beautiful young woman or a sexy man like . . . like Danny.

"Don't look so sad, Jack." Warm hands guide me from the elevator, out to the eerily silent street, and into the deli next door. It smells good, and my stomach growls suddenly. He chuckles, and I forget about food to smile at him. "That's better, Jack. Sit here while I get your soup and sandwich. Ernie got a shipment of supplies in today, so you'll enjoy it."

I sit when he pulls out a chair. Food has been a bit of a problem since the transportation systems went down. It was only for four days but a city as large as New York depends heavily on outside resources. The only thing back up and running is the electric trains. All fossil fuel vehicles are still dead as a doornail. 

Our agents are scattered among the Burroughs. Danny, Martin and Sam have all started using bicycles to get around the thirty block radius we're covering. Yet another reason for me to stay in my office. I'll tell Martin when he gets back, I decide. Some food and I'll be good to go for another couple of days.

"Here we go, tomato soup and a corned beef on rye." Martin sets a tray down in front of me before sitting down across the table. "And I'm having the chicken noodle soup with another CB on rye."

For a moment my stomach rebels at the thought of food but the first spoonful of hot soup unclenches something deep inside of me, and I tuck into my dinner with relish. I alternate bites of sandwich with spoonfuls of soup until the plates are polished clean. A bottle of water is uncapped and handed to me. It tastes good, and I realize how badly I needed this.

"Thanks, Martin. You were right, I was hungry," I admit rather shamefacedly.

"You always take care of us, Jack. It's time we take better care of you." Martin rises and takes the tray full of empty dishes back to the counter where Saul, the owner smiles at him.

Everybody smiles at Martin, and he likes smiling back. Sometimes though, I wish he'd smile just for me. He's coming back now, so I better put on my boss face.

"Come on, Jack let's walk home." His hand is on my elbow, and that warms my whole body. Maybe I'll just give in for now. See how it goes.

********* Martin ********* 

I know Jack's really tired. But I just can't help looking at him and touching him. Danny and Sam didn't even have to push to get me to volunteer to take him home. I've wanted him since almost the first time I met him. He's bright, compassionate, and sexy as hell in a rumpled and huggable kind of way. But he was trying so hard to make his marriage work, and I didn't have the heart for even a mild seduction. But Marie is gone, and it's my turn now.

My turn to take care of him. My turn to love him into smiling. I don't know why but there's just something about the way he looks longingly at me when he's tired that gives me hope I'll get kissed rather than punched when I make my move.

We're almost there, and I'm a little nervous. First he needs to sleep than I'll see about anything else. Misha, the day doorman, opens the door for us.

"Mr. Fitzgerald. There's a lady to see you," he says apologetically.

"Danny. I hoped you'd come soon." The voice is one I haven't heard in a long time.

"Michelle?" I look in disbelief at the girl I haven't seen since college. "What are you doing here?"

"There's something I need to tell you, Marty." She looks nervous.

"Okay, how about we go up to the apartment? Michelle, this is Agent Jack Malone. Jack, this is my chemistry study buddy from college, Michelle Tanner." They shake hands, while I call for the elevator. Why do I think the news she brings is big?

I unlock my door and usher them inside.. "Okay, what can I get for you to drink? Jack, I know you'll want coffee. How about you, Michelle?"

"Coffee sounds good." She sinks onto the couch with an almost inaudible sigh.

Once in my small kitchen, I start it brewing before getting a bottle of water for myself. After serving their coffee, I settle down in the big leather chair by the sofa where they are sitting. "So Michelle what's up? You don't have a missing person do you?"

"No, nobody's missing yet." Her gaze drifts around the room, taking everything in while her hands turn the cup around and around restlessly. "But . . . I will be soon. There's no good way to say this. I'm dying of cancer. I guess all those years of secondhand smoke from my dad before he died finally caught up with me." Her face is resigned, but there's still a spark in her blue eyes.

"Damn Michelle, I'm so sorry." I put down my water and move to sit on the coffee table in front of her, touching her cold hand. "What can I do to help?"

"This isn't how I meant to tell you, Marty." Setting down her coffee cup, she puts both hands on mine. "There's no other way to say it. We have a son. He'll be five next month."

A son? How could we have a son? I shake my head a little and look at Jack as if he could make sense of this. He's got his thinking look on, one of his sexiest looks. "Um, Michelle, are you nuts? We never even had sex. Did we?"

"Well, actually, we did. Do you remember our last chemistry final and the party we had afterwards?" Her smile is the rueful one, that's familiar even after all these years.

"I remember drinking, dancing, winning the kissing contest, and waking up the next morning in a strange bed." Oh god, what else did I do? "Please don't tell me I raped you."

"Of course not, silly. We had mutual very satisfying sex." She flicks the end of my nose and smiles the gamin smile, I remember. "Six weeks later I discovered I was pregnant. And nine months later we had a son. I wanted to tell you but your dad got there first. He offered to pay for all the costs and set up a trust fund for little Vin if I disappeared. You were trying so hard to be what he wanted, and I just couldn't burden you with the pregnancy. So I took the deal and moved back to Wyoming."

"We have a son? His name is Vin?" I run a shaky hand through my hair.

"I named him after my grandfather who died when I was six. His middle name is Martin." Her hand pats mine weakly and I grip it, wishing I could give her some of my strength.

"Vincent Martin Tanner, it sounds good. My dad . . . he really takes the cake. I wish . . . I mean I understand, Michelle, I really do but I wish you'd told me then. He's going to be five? I've missed so much of his life."

"If you want, you won't miss any more. Your name is on his birth certificate and in my will. There's no one I'd rather see raise him when I'm gone. But time is running out. I've got maybe three weeks left before the cancer finishes off my lungs." Now it's her turn to run a hand through her short blonde hair. It's not the thick mane I remember from before. "I thought I had more time but the chemo didn't work."

I look at Jack with bewildered eyes. Just when had the universe gone so strange? He has the saddest smile on his face. "Martin, I can head back to the office. I'll put you down for personal leave."

"No! I mean, I need you to stay, especially if I'm going to meet my son for the first time. Please stay?" I send a pleading look his way.

"All right, if you're sure?" His gaze is soft, and his lips curl into a much stronger smile.

"I'm sure. OK Michelle, where are you staying?"

"We're at the Four Seasons." She looks so relieved and suddenly exhausted.

"Are you up for the walk back? It's six blocks." I think a slight breeze would blow her away.

"Actually, he's down with Misha. I was hoping you'd say yes." She needs help getting up, and I wrap an arm around her. "We introduced ourselves earlier and he offered to watch him. He reminded me of Grandpa Vin."

She's nothing but skin and bones. And so brittle, she feels near to breaking. Jack follows us to the elevator. In the lobby, she steps out and calls his name. "Vin, come to Mama."

********* Vin ********* 

Boy, am I glad Mama came back. Mr. Misha is nice, but this lobby is cold. I run to her side and give her a gentle hug. It hurts her if I hug too hard now. She brought the tall men back with her. One kneels beside me and offers me his hand. So I shake it.

"I'm very glad to meet you, Vin. My name is Martin, and this is Jack. Why don't we go upstairs and get comfortable?" He has blue eyes, just like mine.

I look at Mama, and she nods yes. She takes my hand and leads me into the elevator. We all get on and go way-y-y up. When we get out, Martin's apartment is really nice. The sofa is squishy and made from real leather. Mama says nothing smells as good as real leather. And she's right, it smells like my saddle back home.

"Vin, would you like something to drink?" The tall man asks.

"No, sir. I'm good. Mr. Misha gave me some bottled water while I was waiting."

"Vin likes lemonade, Marty." Mama tells him.

"I do too, Vin." His smile makes me smile too. "I'll make sure we get some for you. Your mama and you are going to stay here with me for a while."

Mama hugs me. "Sweetheart, Martin is your daddy." 

"He is?" I look back and forth between them. "I always wondered why I didn't have a daddy like the other kids do."

"We got separated and Martin didn't know you were born," she tells me.

The tall man smiles at me. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help take care of you, Vin. I promise I'll be here for you and your mama from here on out."

He's got a nice smile, kind of like Mama's smile. But she's sighing her tired sigh.

"Mama, you need to rest." I look at Martin anxiously, and he nods to both of us.

"Let's get you down for a rest in the guest bedroom, Michelle. Vin can watch over you, and maybe take his own nap." He stands and helps Mama up.

She's really tired. The guest bedroom is pretty in greens and blues, but she just closes her eyes and goes right to sleep. I crawl up beside her, and Martin pulls a blanket up over us. It's nice and quiet here, much better than the hotel. Maybe we can stay here for a while, until Mama feels better.

********* Jack ********* 

We leave the two of them sleeping and I steer Martin into what appears to be the master bedroom. We've all had enough shocks today. At the foot of the bed, he turns and hugs me. It feels more like desperation than the passion I was hoping for. Damn it! But I'm not turning it down. So I hug him back.

"My God, Jack, I have a son." His voice is a curious combination of joy and bitterness. "How like my father to take away any choice I might have had at a family because she didn't measure up to the 'Fitzgerald standard'. Oh God, I don't know anything about kids."

"You love them; look after them; teach them right and wrong; love them some more; make sure they get lots of hugs; depend on your friends for help." My hands stroke his back tenderly.

His chuckle is also a sob. "All I was going to do was tell you 'I love you' today."

I freeze in place. He was going to what? "Tell me anyway."

His head comes up from my shoulder. "I love you, Jack. I have for a while now. But you were trying so hard with Marie. So I let it slide. But I don't want to anymore. I just want to hold you and love you."

"But I thought you were straight?" He loves me?

His hand cups my cheek. "I've been bi since I was 14. Tell me I haven't just screwed up a year of friendship."

Bi? My Martin is a brave man. Can I be any less brave? "I love you too, Martin. It's been a long time for me, but I did some experimenting in college. I guess I'd like to take that chance with you."

His eyes light up, and his mouth curls into a grin. Then his lips are on mine and we're sharing our first kiss. It's a good thing we both had the corned beef. I've never tasted anything so good in my life. It's his turn to stroke my back, and I turn on like a teenager. I haven't gotten this hard . . . this fast . . . in years.

We're both panting when we break apart to breathe. He speaks first. "Jack, are you sure? I've only known him for a half-hour, but he's my son. I want him with all my heart."

"Then we'll raise him together. We were both little boys once, we'll be able to figure it out." I feel the room swirl a little. "But right now, I really need a nap."

"We can do that." He backs me up to the side of the bed and pushes me down. Kneeling at my feet, he slips my shoes off. With a groan I lie back and let myself relax. It feels so good to be prone. Then he's lying down beside me and pulling up the comforter over us. His arms around me, I fall asleep almost instantly.

******************************


	16. Chapter 16

********* Ezra ********* 

I'm watching at the front window 'cause it's almost time for Jethro to come home. While I watch, I think about what having people who care about me means. There are so many good things about having a home, but mostly it's about Tony and Jethro.

I like sitting on Tony's lap. I thought maybe I was too old for that but it feels so good, safe and warm. He told me he likes it too and he's always picking me up with a smile and swinging me around until I giggle. Jethro likes to hold both of us while we watch neat movies on the DVD player. 

Tony asked me which ones I liked but I didn't know any of the titles he read off to me. Gibbs growled when I admitted that, and I was afraid for a minute he was angry. But he wasn't at all. Nobody's been mad since I came here. I like that a lot. I don't have to hide or worry about getting hit. I think this is what a real home feels like, and I really, really like it.

"What are you thinking, munchkin?" Tony's voice startles me and I jump a little. "Sorry, Ezra, I thought you heard me come in."

"I was thinking about how safe it feels here," I tell him truthfully.

He picks me up and hugs me tight. "I'm glad, Ezra. We want you to always feel safe here." 

He sits down on the sofa while I hug him back. I know I can do that now. It's kind of cool to know deep inside of me I can get close and not get hurt.

"Ezra, I need to talk to you about something." His big hands stroke my hair while his heart beats a little fast under my ear. But before I start to worry, he drops a kiss on my head and bends so I can see his smile. "When you first came to us, we looked to see if you have any family. Mother Earth said you didn't have any living relatives so we asked if we could keep you forever."

"Wow," I whisper into his shirt. "Nobody ever wanted me forever before."

He drops another kiss on my hair. "We do, Ezra. Aunt Abby did some research for us and found out your mother, Maude Standish, died in a car crash when you were just a year old. I'm sure if she hadn't had that accident, you'd have a wonderful mom right now."

"I 'member someone singing to me and hugs like this." I snuggle in closer. "Then she went away and things got kind of . . ." I have to shiver and push away the bad memories.

Tony lays his cheek on my hair and his voice sounds a little choked. "I'm sorrier than I can say that you had to go through those lonely years. But Jethro and I are very, very glad you escaped to come live with us."

I lean back a little bit so I can look up at him. "I'm glad too. Even breaking my foot wasn't so bad with you."

"Is it aching, Ezra?" He looks down my leg, and his big hand strokes my foot. It's warm even through my sock.

"A little bit but not really bad. It feels so good to have the cast off." I wiggle my toes and feel the muscles there pull a little. 

"It's time for your afternoon massage, munchkin." He shifts me off his lap and into the corner of the couch. Reaching for the massage oil he left on the coffee table yesterday, he warms up a little between his hands while I take my sock off.

It feels so good when he pulls on each toe, I just have to wiggle all over. He grins at me and uses his thumbs up the bottom of my foot just stroking it. "Feel good?"

"Oh, yes." I nod hard.

"Good. I remember my nanny doing this when I broke my foot as a kid." He has a kind of sad smile and I think maybe I won't ask about her right this moment. Then he shakes himself and keeps on talking. "Now, back to when we asked Mother Earth if we could keep you. She said yes but then she did something without asking if it was okay."

He pauses, and I wonder what she could have done. Clearing his throat, his eyes look right into mine. "She . . . changed some of your DNA to match mine so we could become your family."

"What's DNA?" I don't know that word.

//human DNA comes from both your mother and father inside of the seed that makes you who you are// Mother Earth feels like a tickle inside my head

Tony nods so he must hear her, too. "Your birth certificate didn't name your father so we don't know his name. What Mother did was change that part of your DNA to mine," he pauses so I nod to show I understand, although I'm not really sure I get all of it. "Okay, we can talk some more about it later. Ducky says to ask him when we have questions. But what it really means is that you are officially a member of the DiNozzo-Gibbs family. The Welfare people can't have you and neither can anybody else."

I can feel a really big smile on my face. Then I think of something really neat. "Does . . . does that mean you're my . . . daddy?'

"You bet it does, Ezra." His arms gather me into another big hug and I hug back really hard. "You're my very own, very special son." 

"Daddy," I try it out softly, maybe we're both kind of happy and sad at the same time because I've got tears in my eyes.

His whisper sounds like he's crying, too. "You've made me very, very happy, munchkin."

We hug for a long time but then he puts me back so he can keep massaging my foot. Now I have another question. "Daddy, what should I call Jethro? Is he my father, too?"

"We're mated on both Earth and Home so, yes, he is your other father. There are a few legal hoops we still have to jump through on this planet but once they're finished, we'll be a family in the eyes of the legal system, too." He grins at me again. "As to what you want to call him, there are lots of choices. Father is pretty formal, Dad not so much, there's also Papa or the French Pere or Da, hm-m-m, Pop . . . we can look up some more on the Internet if none of them work for you."

I think about it for a few minutes. "I like Papa. Do you think he would mind being my papa?"

His eyes gleam a little like maybe he wants to cry again and he has to clear his throat. "Oh, Ezra, I think he'll really, really like being your papa."

I smile up at him until he finishes massaging my foot. Once I get my sock and shoe back on, he helps me get my crutches under me. I've gotten really good as using them, even on the stairs up to our bedrooms. Although, mostly I hop going up them and then go down on my bottom, one step at a time. I can hardly wait until my muscles get back to normal.

But now we're going to the kitchen so I can have a snack before Jethro, no . . . I think 'papa' . . . for my papa to come home. I'm smiling again. I really like having a family of my very own. Living with people who love you is a good feeling and I think it's going to last this time.

//really, really true, little Ezra// Mother Earth gives me an inside-hug

I wish I could hug her back with my arms but instead I think warm feelings. She likes that a lot so I try to remember to do it often. I'm glad she changed that DNA stuff inside of me. I wish the other foster kids in bad homes could all find real families, too.

//working on that// she says warmly

********* Vin ********* 

It hurts. Mama is dead.

She left me even though I wanted her to stay. 

I begged her not to go away but she did anyway.

I wasn't going to cry since I'm a big boy now.

But Jack said it was okay and he and Daddy both cried at the funeral.

I couldn't cry then. It was like I was all frozen inside like the jack rabbit we found last winter in the back yard.

Mama said the cold was too much and he went to sleep. He didn't wake up again just like her.

We're back home in Wyoming where we scattered her ashes on the prairie where we liked to walk. Everything looked cold because she wasn't there. She liked to sing and suddenly I missed her voice so bad.

I didn't even know I was crying until Daddy picked me up and hugged me tight. Jack wrapped his arms around both of us so I was surrounded by their warmth. And most of the ice melted inside of me and came out in tears.

I thought I'd cried myself out but I still burst into tears every now and then.

Like now when we're packing up the furniture in our house. Mama had started before our trip but her energy was so low, we hadn't gotten very far. Jack is packing up Mama's clothing and her pretty things while Daddy helps me with mine.

"Vin, what's wrong?" Daddy sits on the edge of my big boy bed and holds out his arms.

I climb up into his lap so he can wrap me up in one of his great hugs. "I miss Mama."

He rocks me a little while his hands stroke my back. "I know you do, tadpole. I miss her, too. But even though it hurts, your mama was one of the best things to happen to me. Her friendship and love gave me you, and I'm so grateful for her courage in finding me and bringing you to New York."

"How did you get lost, Daddy?" I blow my nose on the Kleenex he hands me while leaning into his chest so I can listen to his heartbeat like I used to with Mama..

He chuckles but it's kind of a sad sound rather than a happy one. "My father, your grandfather, hadn't planned for me to marry and have a family so quickly. So he asked your mama to not tell me about you. He bought this house for the two of you and set money aside for your education. I wish . . ."

He sighs a little and I look up to see a really sad face so I reach and kiss his cheek. That makes him smile just like it used to make Mama smile. "Why did grandpa do that?"

Pressing a kiss back to my forehead, he shakes his head. "I have no idea, Vin, but I'm going to ask him once we get back to New York. Do you mind leaving Cedar Bend to come to live with Jack and me?"

"Nah, I'll miss Diamond but he wouldn't fit in your apartment." I love my pony but I just can't see how we could take him with us.

"Actually, Jack found a stable about an hour away from the apartment where we are going to board him. If that's okay with you?" His grin gets bigger when I bounce on his lap and throw my arms around his neck.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," I didn't have to leave him behind like I was leaving Mama.

This time his laugh is happy. "It's been ages since I went riding but I'm ready to get back in the saddle. We're going to have to work really hard to get Jack up on a horse though."

"I can teach him, Daddy." I draw back a little to watch his eyes crinkle up like Mama's used to when she smiled.

"We'll both teach him, okay?" He waits for me to nod. "Good, we'll tell him later. Now, I've got a hard question for you. What do you want us to do with your mom's clothes? And her personal items?"

It's hard but I know what Mama would want. "Goodwill is good for her clothes. I'd like to keep her hairbrush though. It was my present to her last year for Mother's Day. And I don't know about the other stuff."

His eyes get watery again but he just nods. "Okay, we'll keep the brush, her jewelry and scrapbooks so you can tell me about them. For now, we'll pack the rest for decisions later. Her books and yours will look nice in the bookcase in your room."

"I miss her reading to me." I rest my head against his shoulder, suddenly tired.

He hums a little and rocks me gently while I close my eyes. I must fall asleep because when I open my eyes again, I'm tucked into my bed with my brown stuffed rabbit, Mr. Jingles, nearby to watch over me. I can hear Daddy's voice in the kitchen and the low rumble of Jack's voice. His is kind of like thunder in the distance but instead of being scary, it's comforting.

My friend Mike's dad has a voice like that. Mike says, it makes him feel safe whenever he hears his dad talking. He's right. Getting up, I ignore my shoes and head for the others with Mr. Jingles under my left arm. I hate wearing shoes although I'll probably have to wear them more when we move to the city.

They're sitting at the table with cups of coffee in front of them. Jack sees me first and smiles at me. "Hey, Vin, did you have a good nap?"

I nod and head for the cupboard where Mama keeps my juice boxes. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."

Daddy turns in the chair and watches me get a tropical punch box. Then he holds the chair while I climb up into my booster seat. Once I'm sitting and drinking, he looks at Jack then back at me.

"Vin, it's okay to sleep when you're tired. Being sad is one of the most tiring things a guy can do." Daddy brushes my hair back behind my ear. Mama used to do that, too.

"I know, Daddy. When Buster died, I cried lots and Mama and me took a nap whenever we missed him." I have a sudden bad thought. "When we leave what happens to this house and the land?"

"We'll put it on the market and sell it so someone else can make good memories here." Daddy says with a little wrinkle between his eyes.

"But Buster is buried in the back yard." I can feel my lip start to quiver and I make it stop. "Mama said he'd be safe here."

Jack and Daddy look at each other then back at me. Jack finally asks me. "Vin, who was Buster?"

"My gold fish that I won at the county fair." I sniff a little and rub my nose on my sleeve.

"Ah, I see. Was this last year?" Jack asks.

"Yeah, in August . . . he lived until November and Mama buried him in the backyard." I finish my juice with a slurp. 

"No slurping, Vin," Daddy says automatically.

"Sorry."

"Buster will be okay here, Vin. He's already dissolved into the earth and is fertilizing the soil so more flowers can grow." Jack knows everything.

"Okay, I guess it's all right. Can we have spaghetti for dinner tonight?" I'm hungry again.

********* Nat'an ********* 

My heart is beating so fast I'm afraid my pursuers will hear it. I know the sound of running feet isn't from my parent. My eyes water and I blink hard to keep the unmanly tears from falling. Father would be so disappointed in me.

I gulp hard and leave the cover of the jeruba bushes to run through the thick underbrush of the Forest. I know every part of this land and I hope very hard my pursuers do not realize where I am leading them. It's not a direct path to the Gate-Between-Worlds where they expect me to head.

The underbrush suddenly disappears and soft moss replaces dead leaves. I begin the short zigzags that will lead me safely through the bog. It's a good thing I weigh so little for my age. The ground quivers beneath my feet and tremors radiate out into the even more liquid parts of this marsh. The smell of sulfur rises up and tickles my nose. I flare my nostrils and keep my mind on the invisible path which will lead me safely through this dangerous part of the Forest.

Father bought my current freedom with his life. I will not fail him now. Loud crashing and cursing arise behind me and I struggle not to speed up. They will only follow if they can still see me. I am my own bait to draw them into the quaking bog.

"There he is." Harsh voices send a shiver down my back but I keep to my path.

Risking a quick look over my shoulder, I breathe a sigh of relief at finding all four of them still behind me. I feared they would split up. If I am very lucky, the bog will take them all. Moss turns to bark and I speed up again, bending low to miss the frothy branches of the Giant Rial Ferns. They look soft but cut like a sword.

Loud cries suddenly erupt behind me and I smile grimly. They will die slowly. Tears come again when I replay my father falling to their power staffs. He killed two of them before the others killed him. I stumble but dash the water from my cheeks and keep running. There might be more than one team delegated to bringing me to the God of my world.

The ferns begin to thin and I slow to catch my breath. Dropping to the ground, I wiggle to the edge of the forest for a reconnaissance. My eyes search the open field that surrounds the Gate Between the Worlds. I traveled through it once with my father when I was ten. I am afraid to do what I must but I will not dishonor my ancestors by failing my father's last command. 

'Escape to Chulak and find Teal'c, your mother's brother.' I can still hear his deep voice ringing in my mind.

Taking a deep breath, I jump to my feet and sprint the distance to the great ring. Before his death two years ago my mother had me memorize the address of his birth world so I dial it now without hesitation. There is a loud ringing and suddenly the air within the ring changes to deep blue. I cast a last look at the world of my youth and with a sob turn my back on all that is familiar. Stepping into the water-like substance, I feel myself turn inside out.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I try not to disgrace myself by throwing up. But my stomach is on fire, and I can feel my control draining away. Suddenly, I am free of the twisting Gate matter and under a different sun. I fall to my knees and take deep breaths until I am calm.

"You, boy, where are you from?" 

The harsh voice reminds me of the Jaffa I just left and my eyes dart about me to find an escape route should I need it. The space around this Gate is empty with no place to hide. The speaker is a tall man who limps towards me from a small hut a slight distance away.

I swallow hard and try to gather enough spit to moisten my mouth enough to speak. Rising, I bow to the Gate Guard. "I seek Teal'c. He is my mother's brother." 

//Teal'c is not here, little one// a soft voice appears to come from nowhere

I turn my head to find the speaker but the guard is bowing to me and his face wears a smile. "The voice you hear is our world, young sir. She will transport you to your uncle."

Chulak is both a world and a . . . spirit? I try to understand but it is too much for me. I am suddenly so tired I can hardly stand.

//sleep now, Nat'an, when you awake you will be with your uncle//

I feel the world spin again but not in a bad way. I barely have time to say 'thank you' before my mind falls into slumber. 

********* Teal'c ********* 

For what seems like the two thousandth time, I catch Sebal'c before he escapes off the blanket and onto the sand. O'Neill just lies there and laughs at me. Our son's giggles join his, and I find myself smiling with the joy that is mine.

"Ducky says a little sand won't hurt him, my own." O'Neill wiggles his fingers and our son's attention moves to those enticing digits. Moving back and forth, he launches himself towards the long fingers that so often tease me.

Keeping in a sigh, I realize we have another hour before Sebal'c takes his afternoon nap. But then those fingers are mine, along with the rest of my tempting mate. "I do not think he meant our son should eat it by the handful."

Laughing eyes meet mine. "A little grit in his diet won't be the end of the world, Teal'c."

"I shall remind you of that when his copious discharge turns sand-colored." My voice is dry while I remember the interesting color of his bowel movements after he ate some of the gua'ange from our breakfast. Bright orange and green 'poop', as O'Neill calls it, is not a sight I wish to ever see again.

"Yeah, it might hurt coming out." He scoops up our wiggling son and holds him above his head. "No sand diets, young man."

Happy giggles are his only answer. 

//bright ones, we have a visitor// Home's happy tones fill my mind

"Who is it, Home?" O'Neill asks.

//a young man from Chulak// she sounds excited //he is related to Teal'c//

My eyes meet O'Neill's. "Is it my son, Ry'ac?"

//he says you are his mother's brother//

I freeze. It has been years since I have seen my brother. Without even thinking twice, I rise to my feet and automatically bring O'Neill and our son up with me. "Please take us to him, Home."

O'Neill is silent but his arm goes around my waist to offer his support nonverbally. Home transports us to our quarters, more specifically to the third bedroom we usually use for Anthony and Gibbs when they come to visit. The young man lying on the bed is the very image of my brother, Sen'tin. 

When he mated with Grel'nic, we became estranged. His mate is a rigid thinker and not one who approves of warrior ways. Sen'tin told me of his great joy when he conceived and bore his son. I sent a gift, only to have it returned with a short note from Grel'nic. Neither I nor my Jaffa gifts were welcome. But that was almost twelve years ago.

We stand there for a long moment while I try to understand why my nephew now lies before us.

But our combined gazes and the little babble from Sebal'c wake him and dark eyes look up at us in a daze. I drop to my knees beside him and hold out my arm for him to grasp. "Welcome to our home. I am Teal'c, brother of Sen'tin, your mother. This is My One, Jack O'Neill. He holds our son, Sebal'c. And what of your parents?"

He sits up and grasps my arm with a cold, trembling hand. "I am Nat'an, son of Sen'tin and Grel'nic. Mother died two years ago and Father . . . today."

Our eyes meet, and I see such pain in them. "Welcome, Nat'an. I sorrow for your loss and my own. I am eager to learn your story but for the moment, do you hunger?"

He nods. "It has been two days since I last ate. The Guards said I must fast before meeting our God."

"Oh no," O'Neill hugs our son closer. "Nat'an, how old are you?"

"I attain my twelfth year tomorrow." The low tones waver just a bit.

I close my eyes against the pain. "We shall speak more of this after we eat. It is time for the noon meal." 

He nods and moves to the edge of the bed. I rise and offer him a hand off the mattress. He eyes it for a moment then accepts my help. Good, he is willing to try for a relationship between us. I give him the ritual hug between family and he returns it without hesitation.

"Welcome to our family, Nat'an." O'Neill smiles at both of us. "Sebal'c needs a big brother to help him grow up to be a good man."

Young Nat'an smiles a little at that statement and nods. "I envied those families with more than one child. I can help with his lessons."

O'Neill smiles a little sadly before turning towards the door. "And playtime, Nat'an, he's going to need to know all the good Jaffa games to go along with the human ones."

Nat'an sighs softly. "I do not know many games, O'Neill. My father thought them frivolous wastes of time."

Now it is my turn to sigh. Grel'nic was always such a stickler for formality. "Then we shall have the fun of teaching you some of the best ones, Nat'an. Now, let us go eat."

Our family grows unexpectedly, I think walking on my nephew's other side. O'Neill and I exchange a glance over his head. Love and acceptance is what I read in his dark gaze. I am the luckiest Jaffa in the galaxy.

****************************


	17. Chapter 17

********* Jack O'Neill ********* 

Well, this isn't how I thought our family would grow but I'm not giving him back. It's been six days since Home delivered another son to us and we're slowly getting to know each other. Nat'an is as stoic as I used to think Teal'c was. He only smiles when he thinks no one is looking. Sebal'c however is the one who made him laugh once.

Okay, so it was more of a chuckle than a laugh. It's a good sign just the same.

Teal'c is still coming to grips with the knowledge his brother, Sen'tin has been dead for almost seven years. It seems his mate, Grel'nic didn't think much of his in-laws so he shut down all communications. I expect we're lucky we even knew Nat'an exists. Well, Teal'c did. I didn't.

Still, he's here and if he's half as intelligent as my Teal'c, he'll be able to become anything he wishes. The only time he got less silent was when Janet was checking him out in the medical center. His eyes lit up and he actually asked questions. We may have an incipient healer in our third bedroom.

"O'Neill, may I go to visit Dr. Frazier?" His voice is soft and still a little unsure.

I'm burping Sebal'c and I wait for the gargantuan sound before answering. "You bet. I'll walk you down to her then head to my office for a couple of hours. Just tell Home when you want to come back. We need to show you the beach and our sun bathing cove. Do you know how to swim?" 

His eyes widen. "What is . . . swim?"

"Big 'no' there." I smile reassuringly. "No problem, Nat'an. Swimming is moving through water. Teal'c and I will be glad to teach you. Now, do I have everything?" Handing off Sebal'c to him, I make a show of stuffing some supplies into the bag which goes everywhere with us.

He smiles a little when my son grabs his nose with a giggle. His fingers tickle a bare tummy and the smile widens when Sebal'c wiggles like the little fish he is.

"Ready?" I ask him and he nods. Each smile brings him closer to us. No kid should have to live through what he did. How many others are out there? Heading down the corridor, I make myself a firm promise to find out.

********* Gibbs ********* 

"Papa!" 

The smile is pure DiNozzo and I catch my breath when I hear him call out. Will I ever get used to the thrill of being called 'papa'? I don't think so.

"Dad!" Another joyous cry comes from the small table where Ezra and a little blond are coloring.

Looking around I see Agent Jack Malone from the New York FBI office. His eyes are on the other little boy and his smile is blinding. Well, what do you know? We exchange a sheepish look while walking over to our boys.

"Papa, this is Vin." Ezra tells me. "He has a pony."

"Dad, this is Ezra." Vin says. "He has two dads, too."

I kneel down and drop a kiss on tousled dark hair. "Hi, munchkin. It's nice to meet you, Vin. Ezra, we don't have room for a pony."

Jack drops his own kiss on the messy blond hair of his son. "Nice to meet you, Ezra. Vin, is that a picture of Diamond?"

The little boys nod vigorously and Vin answers. "Yeah, see he's in his stall and that's me feeding him an apple."

"Agent Malone, where are you staying?" I have an idea.

"Holiday Inn about five minutes from here." He shoots me a 'why are you asking look'.

"We're grilling out on the deck tonight. Why don't you bring Vin and join us?" I grin when two pairs of eyes gaze pleadingly at him.

He grins. "Martin and I accept. You sure you want this ruffian, too?"

"Da-d-d," Vin rolls his eyes.

"Oh, I think he'll enjoy playing with Ezra's jungle gym." I assure him. Ezra is practically bouncing in his seat and I hug him gently. He's still a quiet child although he's getting better at expressing his needs.

He's still unsure his wants are even possible or that we want to hear about them. We're working on that. This may be just the opening for which we've been looking. Our neighborhood is short on children so his only interaction is with the daycare kids and he's been shy about mixing with them much. He's still afraid he'll do something wrong and get sent back to Child Services.

Not going to happen and I watch him get ready to leave with a smile at his proper 'thank you' to Mrs. Carey, the head nanny. She returns his hand shake and winks at me over his head while he's pulling on his Daffy Duck backpack. She's already told us he's a bright little boy who knows his alphabet, numbers and a few words from his favorite books.

I feel a little hand slip into mine and I squeeze it gently. I will never get over the thrill that gives me. After believing I didn't want to be a father, it hit me out of the blue that I am one now. The DiNozzo touch is powerful and I'm actually considering the whole pregnant male thing. 

Walking out to the lobby, I see Tony waiting for us with a tall, slim blond standing beside him. Both little boys tug us to move faster.

"Daddy," they call out in tandem.

Yeah, maybe kids in the plural could be a good thing. 

********* Vin ********* 

Ezra's house is neat. His Papa has a boat in the basement. A real boat, well kind of a skeleton boat, I guess. He's building it himself but Ezra says he helps sand sometimes. But it's the backyard of his house I really like. It's huge, with lots of room to run around and play. There's trees and flowers and cool stuff to play with. We're in the sandbox making a castle while the grownups cook our dinner on the big grill.

"What a difference a few degrees in latitude makes." Dad is smiling at Ezra's daddy, Tony. "We had almost a foot of snow when we left New York. And it's shirt sleeve weather here. Must be nice."

Tony is sitting on the steps watching us play. His grin is kind of like my Daddy's. "It's great but what's even greater is our home away from home. We're just a blink away from the most beautiful planet in any galaxy."

"That still freaks me out a little." Daddy shakes his head but with a smile. "Planets, as in more than one, still seem like a series of weird fantasy novels."

Ezra's papa, Jethro, chuckles. "Me too, Martin. The more you talk to Mother Earth though, the more real she becomes."

Dad is drinking a beer while watching Jethro turn the steaks. I hope we eat soon, I'm hungry. The juice and cookies we had in the daycare were a couple of hours ago. And they were store bought, too. I can always tell. Me and Dad baked real ones before we drove down here so my dads could go to a conference. They were really good so they didn't make all the way to Washington, DC. We ate every single one.

"What's that like?" Daddy asks and I listen real hard because I think it sounds neat to talk to a planet.

//I like talking to those who want to hear me//

I look around because I hear a lady's voice and there isn't one near by.

"We like talking to you too, Mother." Ezra pats the sand we're sitting on then looks at me. "That's Mother Earth inside your head."

"Wow," I pat the sand, too. "Hi, Mother Earth, it's nice to meet you."

Warm tingles run up my whole body. //I like making new friends//

"Me, too," I say in satisfaction. "That's cool you can talk to the planet, Ezra." 

"Yeah," he nods vigorously. "She's really nice but so is Home. Maybe you could come with us when we visit her this weekend?"

"Home?" Daddy asks Tony.

"The sentient planet who helped wake up Mother is called Home by the men and women who colonized her." Tony smiles at him. "She's a semi-tropical world with the most unspoiled landscape you can imagine. She's a very nice lady where some good friends live."

"Yeah, it's fun to visit and go swimming at the beach." Ezra leaves the sandbox to go hug his daddy.

That's a good idea so I do it, too. Daddy always holds me tight and whispers 'I love you' when we hug, just like Mama used to. I still miss her but living with Daddy and Dad almost makes up for her going away. I won't ever forget her but the apartment is starting to feel like home.

"You've actually traveled to another planet?" Dad asks with his eyes real big and wide.

"Yeah, the whole teleporting thing is pretty easy." Jethro nods matter-of-factly. "Weird at first but now it just takes a moment and we're there. Haven't taken Teal'c up on visiting his home world, Chulak, but we will one of these days." 

"Wow," Daddy shakes his head. "And it's safe, Tony, no predators or radiation or anything like that?"

"Safe as can be. What do you have planned this weekend?"

Daddy hugs me closer and his voice is a little tight. "We have a meeting with my father on Saturday. It should take two hours tops. Another planet sounds like just the thing for afterwards." 

"Yeah!" I grin at Ezra. "I've never been swimming before."

"It's fun." Ezra smiles back. "I didn't know how either but Home helped me learn."

********* Jack Malone ********* 

Thank God we didn't bring Vin with us. I will be forever grateful for Gibb's offer to watch our son while we drove out to the Fitzgerald estate.

I've stayed silent up to this point but no way am I going to let Victor Fitzgerald berate his son like this. The jerk hadn't even asked us to sit down, just let loose a diatribe on how 'disappointed' he is in Martin. How 'stupid' his actions are in taking in Vin. How 'insane' he is to take on a 'used up has-been male lover'.

"Stop, just stop, Fitzgerald." I take a step closer to the gleaming cherry desk that's twice the size of mine. "Perhaps you could listen to Martin instead of lecturing him?"

"No, he can't." Martin lays a hand on my arm and I feel the tremor through the fabric of my sweater. "Father doesn't listen." Blue eyes meet mine and the pain there lances through me like a knife. 

"Don't be absurd, Martin. If you had anything intelligent to say, I'd be glad to listen." His snort of contempt makes me grit my teeth. "But you never do. I'm just glad your mother isn't here to see what a hash you're making of your career. She'd have been as shocked and appalled as I am with a bastard grandchild."

"Let's leave my mother out of it, Father. She loved me and she would have loved Vin." He takes a deep breath and slides his hand down to take mine. "I wish I could say I'm surprised by your reaction, but I'm not. You've always wanted a puppet instead of a son and I can't be that for you."

Cold blue eyes pierce us both. "I only want what is best for you and this family. Your career will suffer because of these unwise choices. I won't be able to help you further."

"Help me? You never helped me, Father. You directed, berated me, made me feel more like a step-child than your son. I won't do that with Vin." His jaw clenches and not in a good way. Briefly, I worry about tooth enamel, both his and mine. "I love Jack. He's the other half of my soul and I won't give him up, even for some mythical benefit. Together we're going to raise Vin to be what-ever he wants to be. We'll love him and each other forever. I'm sorry you won't be a part of our lives."

Those beautiful eyes come to me again and the love shining there makes me catch my breath. I'm pretty sure I've got a fatuous look on my face.

"You're throwing away everything." Victor pushes his chair back angrily and we both tense. "If you walk out that door, you are no longer my son. I will disinherit you for once and for all."

"Do what you have to, Father." He leans into me and I slide my hand around his with a squeeze. "I wish you well."

Pivoting away from the sour man behind the desk, Martin heads for the door and pulls me with him. I'm more than ready to go, even if it does mean kissing my FBI career goodbye. Fitzgerald probably has the paperwork ready to go. Maybe Gibbs knows of a job opening?

Martin pauses in the doorway and an interesting look crosses his face. "Actually, Father, have you thought about how politics are going to change now that Mother Earth is sentient?"

"Pah!" He sneers. "New age idiocy."

Martin's smile is just short of beaming. "Keep telling yourself that, Father."

Oh god, that's just cruel, I think, but I save my snicker for outside the front door.

//How rude// our planet sounds affronted

Martin bites his lip and coughs away his own laugh. "He's always been a very practical man. I think we're both looking for jobs, Mother. If you know of any openings, can you let us know?"

//bright ones// her warmth is a mental hug

I probably have a silly grin on my face to match the one on Martin's.

"I think we're going to be just fine." He brushes a kiss to my knuckles and my heart melts. "Love you, Jack."

Pulling him into my arms, I kiss his smiling lips. I'll be 102 before I get used to his taste. 

********* Mac Taylor ********* 

There are days I hate my job. Snapping photos of the burnt out husk of a car, I try to ignore the charred bodies waiting for removal. Finally I'm done and I nod for the paramedics to do their job. Stella is talking to the neighbor who called in the explosion and I spot Lindsay photographing some of the debris that has been blown a good thirty feet nearer the suburban house.

Where the hell is Danny? The front door of the house is open and I can see him crouched just inside the hall. "Messer, what are you doing?"

He doesn't answer, just stands and holds out a baseball bat and glove.

"Oh, my God, where's Chris?" The neighbor starts to cry again. "He ran back in to get his sports gear. Where is he?"

Stella comforts her and as I draw nearer, she sobs out the basics. Chris Larabee, twelve years old, son of Adam and Sarah Larabee, baseball fanatic and a bit of a hell-raiser should be on his way to school but is nowhere in sight. Don disappears inside the house with Danny and I know they'll find him if he's there.

"Oh God, no." An unmarked cop car arrives and almost before it's stopped, the passenger has leapt out to gaze at the wreck. He's about my age but wears his authority like a well-worn suit. Blazing blue eyes meet mine. "You the CSI in charge of the crime scene?"

"Mac Taylor," I meet him half-way between the house and the car smoldering in the street.

"Captain Nestle from the 18th Precinct," his handshake is firm. "Who all was in the car?"

"Two adults, one male and one female. It appears the son wasn't in the vehicle when it exploded." I've always found it's best to be blunt when dealing with another professional.

"Dear God," he closes his eyes tight and takes a moment to get a grip on his emotions. "Adam was Lt. Larabee out of Homicide under me. Sarah taught special ed in Chris' school, Washington Irving."

Damn, another brother-in-justice dead. This case either just got simple or a hundred times harder. "I'm sorry for your loss, Captain. Our first concern though has to be their son. According to the neighbor, he ran back in to get something he'd forgotten then the car blew up."

"So, did he run away from the horror of watching his parents burn alive or was somebody waiting to snatch him?" Captain Nestle says grimly.

"Or, did he have instructions from his father to head to safety should something like this ever happen?" I add. "Whatever the answer, we need to call in Missing Persons."

"My men will handle it, Mr. Taylor." His gaze is fierce. 

"I'm sorry, Captain, but we need to call in the experts. Every moment we're not looking for him, he could be in grave danger. Especially if he saw or knows something." I speak firmly but he's not listening. 

I hate being suspicious but it's part of my job. It is beginning to look like a hit. But who ordered it and why? Don comes up to me and whispers the house is empty. Nodding, I get out my cell phone and punch in a number.

"Jack? It's Mac Taylor. We've got a missing person and two dead bodies. We need your team fast."

********* Chris ********* 

Get to safety . . . get to safety . . . get to safety.

Dad's words keep repeating inside my head. "If anything happens to me or your mom, grab the lock box in my closet floor if you can and leave immediately. Go to Peso and hide there until one of us comes for you."

I bite my lip hard and hold in a sob. What if neither of them will come? Who can I trust to come for me if they are both . . . gone?

I want to cry and scream and hit something but everything is locked inside of me. I just keep putting one foot in front of the other. The box's sharp edge digs into my back again and I automatically shift my back pack an inch or so to stop it. It's going to be a long ten mile hike to Peso.

He's the only one I can trust now.

************************************


	18. Chapter 18

********* Don Flack ********* 

Damn it! A silent Danny is just plain wrong.

He methodically sifts through dresser drawers while I go through the clothes hanging in the small closet. He hasn't said a word since we started searching the house for the kid.

"Looks like he plays a couple of different sports." I say while fingering the hockey jersey I find on the floor of the closet. He'd missed the clothes hamper. I sniff it gingerly and wrinkle my nose. A couple of days ago if the dried sweat odor is any indication.

"Yeah, looks like he's a busy kid." His voice is so subdued.

"Where would he go if he'd just seen his world go up in flames?" I pose the question half to myself and half to him.

The shoulder shrug is eloquent. "Maybe a teammate's house or a relative, if he has any."

"We need to check his dad's address book. Find out if there is any family." I leave the closet and head for the master bedroom. Danny just nods and stays to finish going through the kid's things.

Wrong, wrong, wrong, I tell myself silently. Ever since the Tanglewood/Sonny cock-up, Danny has shut down on me. He answers when spoken to but never instigates conversation anymore. Mac had gone Old Testament on him and Danny had never even tried to explain.

Or maybe he had but Mac wouldn't listen. I like Mac, I really do but Danny is my best friend and I don't know how to reach him now. He doesn't play hoops or go out for a beer after work anymore and all I'd get is a quiet smile and a 'not tonight, Don'. It's like he's punishing himself somehow.

Shaking myself loose of the questions I keep asking myself, I look around the master suite. Muted blues and greens predominate and the pictures on the wall above the dresser are all family oriented. Chris is a good looking kid and his mom had been a real beauty. I swallow hard at the memory of how I'd just seen her, a blackened husk of herself.

Oh shit, his dad was a cop. One photo shows him in uniform while the next one is a Christmas party at the 18th Precinct with him in plain clothes. There is Tom Baner, a detective about my age standing next to him and a couple of others I know by sight if not by name. I hate cop killers.

"Don, you find anything yet?" Mac's voice breaks me out of my reverie. "Captain Nestle from the 18th is here."

"Nothing that might tell us where he's gone. Plays a lot of sports but nothing that shows he's got family or friends he'll go to." I shrug helplessly. "An APB might bring in some leads."

"Nestle was doing that when I came in." His eyes canvas the room, taking it all in. "I called in Malone and his team."

Grimacing, I nod. "Hate to say it but if it's a case at the 18th, that's probably a good idea. Dad, well he kind of goes quiet when I mention them."

Mac's glance is questioning but a commotion down the hall brings us both to attention.

********* Danny Messer ********* 

Seems like a good kid, I think while making notes of the pictures on the walls. A horse is in three of them or maybe he's a pony. I don't know much about animals but he looks kind of small next to the dad. Part of me hopes Chris didn't see the explosion but I expect he saw it all. He's got to be feeling numb and lost right now.

Where did he go? What spells safety to him? My eyes keep coming back to the picture of him riding the pony around a sawdust track. The oak frame has some letters burned into it, 'Peso'. I wonder where you keep a horse in the suburbs.

"What have you found?" A harsh voice from the doorway brings me around. Old guy, screaming authority figure with the blue suit. "Messer."

All the hatred in the world is in his voice the moment he recognizes me. And I know him, too. Captain Harry Nestle, pain in the ass head of the 18th Precinct, just great.

"Sir, I haven't found anything to say where he might have gone."

"Get out." He's shaking with anger. "Get out of here now, Messer. I won't have you contaminating the investigation of the death of a good cop."

"Captain, you're in the middle of my crime scene. If you'll step outside, I'll give you what we have so far." Mac's voice shakes me out of my shock. "Messer, finish up and get back to the lab to start processing the evidence."

I nod. God, it hurts to hear the ice in his voice. His disdain cuts me to pieces and hurts worse than any of the hatred I hear in the cops voices who only know my family name. Don gives me a sympathetic look but I don't acknowledge it. I don't want the mud on me to smear him. I've been drawing back since the whole Sonny cluster fuck and while it hurts to lose my best friend, it's safer for him.

I wait for them to leave and check the back of the pony picture. Sure enough there's a date of last fall and the name 'Brookes' penciled on the back. I'll check the phone book at the office. Maybe it's the name of the stables. Or I can just ask Monroe if she knows about it. She likes to talk about horses and riding.

Heading out, I tell Stella where I'm going. She nods and pats my shoulder. I don't look at anyone else, just get to the car and drive away. I think this might be the case. I'll finish it up and then go looking for a new job. Be the coward everybody seems to think I am and turn tail to run away. Someplace warm where nobody knows me and I don't have to worry about all the baggage I've got piled on my shoulders.

Maybe I'm finally ready to give up hoping for a break.

********* Martin ********* 

My day off is that much sweeter now I have a child.

Vin looks so adorable on top of Diamond. Pegasus snorts a little beneath me and I pat his long neck soothingly. He wants to gallop but my son's pony isn't up for that just yet. Actually, Diamond is old for a pony and the time is coming when he'll need to be put out to pasture. I've got my eye on a nice four-year-old Pinto that Adele Brookes told me about. 

"Daddy, if you want to gallop, it's okay with me." A little voice says matter-of-factly.

"Maybe after we rub Diamond down and get him some oats, you and Pegasus and I will come back out for a longer ride." I offer and watch his eyes light up.

"Okay, Daddy," he pats his pony's neck. "C'mon, Diamond, we can go back now."

I chuckle and obligingly rein Pegasus back towards the stables, following my son who's trotting. Tying my horse to the rail outside the big barn, I go after Vin. He's already got Diamond in his stall and has his bridle off. I un-cinch then remove the saddle since it's still a little heavy for five year old hands. Leaving the stall, I put the tack on the pegs and stand with Vin's name on them. He's so proud of that.

Adele waves from the far end of the barn where she's introducing a new rider to her horse. This is an excellent stable and I'm so glad we found it. Vin lost enough this year, I didn't want him to lose anything else. And I'd forgotten how much I love riding. Mother and I rode twice a week when I was growing up. Riding with my son brings back all the good memories I'd hidden away at her death.

Scooping a bucket half-full of oats from the grain bin, I head back to the stall where Vin is currying and talking to his pony. "Good boy, Diamond. You were wonderful today. Does that feel good?"

I fill the empty manger in front of the pony with the oats and with a snort, Diamond steps right up to his dinner. Vin giggles happily and ducks around him to brush his other side.

"Thanks, Daddy. He likes oats almost as much as I like oatmeal cookies."

"We need to do some baking, don't we?" I hang up the saddle blanket to dry out. "I bet Jack would like some chocolate chip ice cream to go with a fresh batch of cookies."

"Oh yeah," he agrees with a vigorous nod. "And maybe some hot chocolate to warm us all up?"

"Are you cold, tadpole?" I worry I might have kept him out too long.

"No, Daddy, I'm good." His smile is bright. "I want to gallop with you and Pegasus."

"If you're sure?" I feel his fingers and they're warm enough. "Finish up and we'll take the scenic trail down by the river."

"Yeah!" He nods and starts brushing harder.

My cell phone vibrates and I keep in a sigh. Not now, please don't call me in. "Vin, I've got a call. Meet you outside in a few minutes, okay?"

"Sure, Daddy."

Once I'm outside, I answer. "Fitzgerald . . . hello, Jack . . . oh no . . . I hate it when it's a child . . . okay . . . we're going for a gallop then we'll be home . . . it's lasagna tonight . . . we'll try and save some for you . . . take care . . . love you, too."

"Was it Dad? Is he coming out to ride with us?" Vin leans against my leg.

"Nope, tadpole," I put away my phone and swing him up in my arms. "He's got a case and has to work, hopefully not too late. Now, let's gallop."

He hugs me tight then swarms into the saddle when I lift him up. Pegasus is used to us riding double by now so he just rolls his eye at Vin until soft giggles erupt. Putting my foot in the stirrup, I seat myself behind him and gather the reins into my hands. With a press of my heel, Pegasus moves towards the bridle path that leads to the river. In the broad light of early afternoon, the trail looks inviting and within a few moments, we're galloping down to the river.

Vin is practically vibrating with joy as he clings to the pommel horn of my Western style saddle. A few moments and I rein Pegasus back to a trot. Vin rests back against me and pats the hand I have on his stomach.

"Thanks, Daddy, that was good. I wish we could go riding every day." The wistful tones make my heart hurt.

"I wish we could too, Vin. Maybe Dad and I will get different jobs so we can spend more time with you and our horses." I drop a kiss on the fair hair beneath my chin. My father still hasn't dropped any bombs on us that we know about.

"Maybe," he rubs my hand. "But then who would look for the losted people? You're really good at finding them. I like knowing if I'd ever get lost, you'll find me right away."

I hug him closer. "We will always find you, Vin. Just don't get lost any time soon, okay."

Mischievous blue eyes twinkle up at me. "I promise, Daddy."

********* Chris ********* 

I hide in the shrubs next to the barn. Mrs. Brookes has a newbie by the bridle and is headed for the beginner's circle. Waiting a couple of minutes, I listen hard to see if there's anyone else in the barn. The only sounds are the stamp and whickers of the horses. Sneaking in the back entrance, I head for the ladder that leads up to the hayloft.

Peso is still out in the pasture since we hadn't called ahead to say we were coming. I swallow hard and keep climbing the smooth rungs. There isn't a 'we' anymore.

Once up there, I head for the far corner where the bales are stacked three or four bales high. Dropping my backpack, I don't let myself rest. That would be too easy and I don't know how much time I've got until somebody comes in. Dragging the closest pile nearer me, I restack them to leave a gap two bales in. It's heavy work but I only stop when I need to listen.

I struggle to get the third bale on top, leaving a toe hold so I can get up and over when I have to. I freeze when I hear a kid's voice laughing. Then I scramble up and into the crawl space I've made. Breathing as shallowly as I can, I finally rest. Voices drift up from below and I listen to distract myself from the thoughts I don't want. 

"Thanks, Daddy. Thanks, Pegasus. You're a good horse." 

I think I recognize the voice. What is the little guy's name? Vin, that's it. And his father is an FBI agent, named . . . Fitzgerald. Well, both of his dads are fibbies. Dad and Mom had talked about them. Dad had sounded kind of disapproving but Mom had just laughed and told him not to be silly. 'True love conquers all', she said. I hold in a sob and bury my head in my arms atop my knees.

"We need to stop at the grocery store to get our cookie ingredients, Vin. Then we'll go home and make some for Dad." Mr. Fitzgerald says.

"Is Dad looking for someone losted?" 

"Yes, he's looking for someone who saw something really, really bad and ran away because he was scared." His voice is sad. "But hopefully we'll find him quickly and get him somewhere safe."

"Are his parents looking for him, too? They must be scared."

There's a long silence then Mr. Fitzgerald sighed. "His parents are dead, Vin."

"Like Mama?" The little voice is really sad and I can't stop the tears anymore. I sob silently into my jeans.

"Like your mama, tadpole, only he lost both of them."

"Oh," he pauses for a long moment and I rub my nose on my knee. "Dad will find him and make it all better. Does he have grandparents to help?"

"I don't know, Vin. You know the team will find out all the important information and work until he's found. And his dad was a policeman so his friends will be looking, too." The FBI agent's voice is so sure of the outcome.

I'm not sure of anything anymore. Part of me wants to go down and talk to Mr. Fitzgerald. Let him take charge and decide what to do. But most of me wants to stay safe in the hayloft and pretend this day has never happened. My little hidey hole is warm and sweet smelling. I ache all over from the long walk and for the first time since I was as small as Vin, I want to take a nap. There's more conversation below but I just listen to the sounds instead of the words.

I really am tired.

It's dark when I wake up. At some point, I curled up on my side with my backpack as a pillow. The hard edges of the box have left a crease on my neck that hurts but I ignore the small pain in favor of listening to the sounds of the barn. You can't be impatient around horses. Dad always told me to take my time, to watch and listen to my mount.

I pinch my nose hard to concentrate on the small pain instead of the really big one inside my heart. The barn isn't really silent. There's the coo of a morning dove high above me; the rustle of maybe a mouse nearby; the occasional stamp of a horse's hoof. But no people sounds and that's good because I have to take a leak and I don't want to do it up here.

I'm still achy but once I stand up and move around, some of it goes away. Climbing out of my hiding spot, I listen again before moving towards the ladder. I don't want to spook the horses because that would bring Mrs. Brookes or her son Toby out to investigate. One of the horses whickers softly and I pause again, thinking soothing thoughts to reassure him.

Mom says animals can read your intentions better than humans can. I bite my lip and try not to think about her right now. I really need to piss. There's a sink and toilet in the office at one end of the barn but I don't dare flush so it's the bushes for me. I prop open the side door and take a moment to let my eyes adjust to the darkness. Walking quickly to the edge of the trail, I unzip and take a leak with a sigh of relief.

Shaking off the last drop, I zip back up and head back to the barn shivering. It's getting colder and I hope it's not going to snow again. Swallowing hurts a little and I decide it's safe to get some water from the tap to drink. While I'm drinking from the faucet, I wonder if there are any snacks left from Mrs. Brookes' morning classes. Wiping my face clean with my shirtsleeve, I investigate.

There's a box of Triscuits and I take a hand full to munch on. The bowl of apples looks good and I take one from the side where it's not so noticeable. I'll do some chores to pay her back. I wish I could just walk up to the house and ask for her advice but I still don't who I can trust. Dad had told me a place to hide but not who to talk to. Closing my eyes tight, I force back tears.

He probably didn't think the bad guys would kill both of them. He was always telling Mom and me to be safe. He should have taken more precautions himself. I'm suddenly so angry I want to hit something. They weren't supposed to die. My stomach hurts and for a bad moment, I think I'm going to throw up right here in the office. I sit down real fast and swallow hard a couple of times to keep from hurling.

Once I stop concentrating, I hear voices coming towards the barn. I freeze for a moment. It's too late to get up the ladder so I do the next best thing and slither across the floor to hide under the desk. Hopefully, it's just the Brookes taking a last look at the horses before going to bed. Tilting my wrist so I can feel my watch and the little light-up button, I see it's almost 11 pm. 

Kind of late, isn't it? I thought they went to bed early because they got up before dawn.

What if it's not the Brookes?

*************************


	19. Chapter 19

********* Danny Messer ********* 

I just can't let it go. After running tests on the residues and discovering the explosive components, I work on everything else that hits the lab. When I have to take a leak break, I look in the staff room phone book. Brookes Stables are listed but way out of Manhattan. Could a little guy make a trek like that? His bike is still at the house so he'd be hoofing it.

Finally, I call Don and let him know about the stable. 

"Thanks, Danny. I'll pass the info on to Malone and his squad."

That makes me feel better. But in the back of my mind, I wonder about it off and on through the afternoon. The kid has to be feeling like absolute crap. What I'd like to do is talk to Mac but I can't bring myself to brave the lion's den. Besides, he and Lindsay are working on something and I just don't need the grief. 

Now I'm home but not even the hockey game on ESPN can keep my attention. It's just eight when a knock on the door surprises me. Taking a quick look through the peephole, I feel a warm glow at the sight of Don dropping by like he used to do when we still hung out together. 

"Don, you didn't need to stop by." I swing open the door and hesitantly beckon him in.

"I need a beer and my fridge is empty." His smile is tired and he pulls at his tie to loosen it. "A break on the case would be nice, too."

"Sure, take a seat." I wave him to the sofa and go to the kitchen for his beer. He's thrown his coat over the ottoman and is watching the game through half-closed eyes when I get back.

"Cheers," he toasts and takes a long swallow.

"You find the kid yet?" I ask to fill in the awkward silence before sitting down as far away from him as my sofa will let me. 

"No, and the 18th is being real pissy about it." His grimace reminds me of the automatic contempt of the morning. "Captain Nestle's balls are in a twist. Sorry you had to take his abuse earlier."

I shrug. "Nothing new there. The stables pan out?"

"Malone has a Danny too. I talked to him earlier." Don grins at me and I blush a little at the sudden inappropriate thought of being 'had'. "He says his teammate Fitzgerald keeps a couple of horses at that stable." He runs a hand through his hair. "Isn't that kinda odd? How can an FBI agent afford horses?"

"Nah, Martin Fitzgerald comes from a rich family. Did they check it out?" 

"He said he'll call and have Mrs. Brookes and her son look over the buildings to see if he's there." Don looks kind of uneasy and I wonder if he's feeling what I am. "Damn, I don't like it. You think he might run there?"

And my thoughts coalesce as I jump to my feet. "Yeah, I really think he would. You want to go find out?"

"Yeah, you drive. I just had that beer." He joins me, pulling on his coat again. "You need a heavier jacket than that old thing, Danny. It's getting colder since the fog rolled in."

"You're a worry wart, Don." I wrap a scarp around my neck to appease him and make sure my gloves are in my pocket. Once we're on the road, I see what he meant.

The fog swirls around the street lights like a spooky halo. Traffic is light so we make good time north. But not as good as we would have in better weather. The pavements are just slick enough to make me worry about hydroplaning. But I ease off the gas and keep a sharp eye out for the crazys.

Don tunes the radio to the game and we listen while the Rangers get their asses handed to them by the Philadelphia Flyers. It feels good to banter back and forth. It's been a while since we did that and I feel kind of bittersweet about it. I don't dare get too comfortable though. It's not safe for either of us.

********* Don Flack ********* 

I still think there's something wrong with Danny. Listening to the hockey game with him reminds me of better times, times when we clicked on all cylinders. Sometimes it seems like he's forgotten whatever is bothering him, then . . . wham . . . he's back to carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

We make good time and I direct him to the two-lane road off the main highway which should get us to the stables. Part of me is hoping we'll meet Danny Taylor, while part of me is thinking about how damn spooky the fog is out here where the open ground seems to be breeding a thicker, more eerie mist. Danny must think the same thing because he's going slower than usual.

When the two deer leap out in front of us, I jump and press the floorboards like I have a brake on the passenger side. Thankfully, Danny hits the real brakes and the deer keep on going. 

"Damn wildlife," he shivers a bit before bringing us back up to speed.

"Who knew Manhattan would be safer than Podunk-Central?" I relax a little but keep a wary eye out for more wildlife. "I think the next turn is ours. The last four way was 280th. According to the map, the next one is 316."

"Yeah, funny how they skip so many numbers." He's peering ahead through the thick fog like he can actually see anything but dirty white. 

"City boy," I poke him in the side and enjoy his irritated look. And I decide to ask the question that's been bugging me. "Danny, what's wrong? Did I do something to offend you? I miss my best friend."

His fingers tighten so hard on the wheel, they turn white. "Nothing's wrong, Don. You're my best friend, too. I've just been thinking about . . . things. It's been kind of a cluster fuck kinda year."

I snort and punch his arm gently. "You can say that twice, Danny. But we're okay, right?"

"We're good." His smile is still subdued but his shoulders have relaxed a little so I back off. "Is that 316?"

I unbuckle my seat belt so I can open the door to get closer to the road sign. There's no breeze I can feel but the fog is moving anyway. Shivering, I duck back in the car. "Yeah, it's 316. We should be there in a few moments."

"I'll let you talk." Danny makes the turn and goes about 30 mph down what's little more than a gravel lane. "Your badge will get us further than mine will."

"You earned that badge, Danny Messer and don't let anybody tell you different." I can tell he doesn't really believe me but his smile is a little brighter. I'll work on his self-esteem after we wrap this case up.

A big sign suddenly looms up ahead. The arrow points to the left and Danny turns in carefully. Where are streetlights when you really need them? The lane is deeply rutted and Danny slows even more but there is finally a light up ahead. I breathe a sigh of relief and get ready to jump out. 

Just as Danny pulls in to a gravel space, a figure runs in front of the headlights. He slams on the brakes and I jump out with a shout. "Hey, be careful."

All I get is an impression of wide eyes and blond hair in a too-young face before he veers beyond the headlights at a run. Could it be the boy?

"Chris?" I call out and he hesitates before disappearing into the fog.

********* Martin ********* 

"And then the dragon sneezed all over the knight, turning his armor instantly into a rusted tin can. The princess clapped her hands and gave Sir Grim a swift kick in the shins. "That's for trying to rescue me, you big bully." 

She dusted off her hands, picked up her basket of freshly gathered dragon's breath and smiled at the blue dragon. "Come on, Sneezle, I'll bake a fresh batch of cookies for our tea." And Sneezle picked her up in his great big claws and put her on his back for the flight home to his dragon's cave. The end for now"

"That was a good one, Daddy." Vin is still awake and those big blue eyes are sparkling up at me. "Sneezle rocks!"

I chuckle and drop a kiss onto his hair, savoring the scent of freshly bathed little boy. "When you get bigger and read harder books, there's a great collection of stories by Patricia Wrede about dragons. You'll like them."

"It's getting easier, Daddy. Ezra says I'll like the next book in the 'I Read' series. It has a horse in it." He looks up at me and makes one of those lightning changes in topics he's so good at. "Do you think Dad has found the little boy he's looking for?"

"He would have called to let us know if he had." I reassure him while saying another silent prayer for the lost child.

"Did Dad ask Mother Earth to find him?" Vin's little face scrunches up. "That would be a lot easier than driving here and there, 'pecially if you don't know where he is."

I freeze and then blink. "That's a good idea, Vin. Let me get my phone and call Jack."

He sits up in bed and grins at me. "We can do it ourselves, Daddy. Mother Earth, could you bring Chris Larabee here?"

//goodness// is all I hear before a short blond appears in front of me.

He's got his arms over his head in a protective stance and he's hunched over as if to avoid a blow. "No-o-o."

I jump up and reach for him before pulling my hand back. "Chris . . . Chris, you're safe."

Wild eyes peer out from his hands and he gradually straightens up while looking around Vin's bedroom. "How? Where? . . ."

"My name's Vin and this is my Daddy, Martin Fitzgerald." Vin's piping voice brings the young man's eyes to him.

It's odd but I can see a silent connection establish itself the moment blue eyes meet hazel; the defensive curve of young shoulders eases and the frown smooths out. He's still grubby and wary but no longer terrified.

"How did I get here?" His voice is rough and he keeps swallowing like it hurts. "I was out at the stables when . . ." 

Suddenly he's shivering and I take a step to wrap him in a hug. "Vin thought to ask Mother Earth to find you for us. I work for the FBI missing persons unit here in New York. Are you hurt anywhere, Chris?"

He doesn't relax completely but he does accept the hug. "Um, I ache kinda and I'm tired but I'm okay." He stills and his head comes up. "But a guy was hunting me and a cop called Danny found me first but then there was guns and fire and . . . I think he got shot instead of me."

Oh no, I think with a squeezing of my heart. "Come out to the living room so I can call in. Vin, wear your slippers."

"Yes, Daddy." He's already out of bed and his hand reaches for our guest's. "C'mon, Chris. We'll get you some cold water for your throat."

"How'd you know it hurts?" He takes the little hand gingerly and lets himself be led out to the living room.

"It sounds raspy and it hurts you to swallow." Vin says matter-of-factly. "I had a cold a couple of months ago and I did the same thing."

The muted chuckle from our guest makes me smile. I have the best little boy in the whole world. Heading to the hall table where the wooden bowl sits that we throw in all our gear after a day's work, I grab my phone, hit speed dial one and wait impatiently. Vin's voice comes from the kitchen where they're raiding the fridge.

"Martin, is something wrong?" Jack's voice sounds a little gravelly.

"I've got Chris Larabee here in the apartment. Vin asked Mother Earth to find him and bring him here. Where's Danny?"

"Wow, I think we're out of a job. Danny's here."

"Chris says he was at the stables when someone came hunting him. A cop named Danny may have taken a bullet meant for him. Who else knew about the Brookes?"

"Damn, Don Flack was the one who told us about the stables. It was a CSI tech who came up with the lead, Danny Messer. Let me get back to you in a few minutes, Martin. Tell Vin he gets an extra scoop of fudge mocha ice cream tomorrow." Jack's voice is so proud before he hangs up.

//cold man shot Danny// Mother's voice is sorrowful //sent him to Janet//

"Thank you, Mother." I close my eyes and say a brief prayer for the CSI.

********* Mac ********* 

The call from Malone surprises me but it's followed by Don's panicked call from the stables. I call Stella so she's ready when I pick her up. We've got a crime scene, a dead body and a missing CSI. Shaking my head, I wonder what else can go wrong when a voice inside my head confuses me even further.

//too slow . . . here//

I blink at Don and look down at the dead body. I've got ground under my feet instead of carpet.

"That's Mother Earth talking to you and bringing you here." Don says that so matter-of-factly. "She took Danny to a doctor."

//Janet says he's alive and the bullets are out//

Bullets? I clear my throat in time to see Stella materialize beside me. Her eyes are as wide as I've ever seen them. Her mouth is opening and closing but no sound is coming out.

"Mother, we need some lab kits. They're in the CSI lab marked Kit 1 and Kit 2." Don is still being stoic but his hand is shaking when he rubs his chin.

And the kits appear almost instantly. I shake my head hard. "Um, thank you, Mother. Is the Janet you mentioned the doctor taking care of Danny?"

//yes, she's very good//

I clear my throat again. "Thank you, again. Could you ask her to preserve the bullets she took out of his body."

//certainly//

"My God, could it get any stranger?" Stella finally finds her voice. "What the hell happened here, Don?"

Don's voice is almost mechanical in his recitation of the facts as he knows them. While he's talking, Stella and I get into our sterile gloves and booties. She starts taking photos while I go through the body's pockets. He's carrying a billfold and when I flip it open, I want to curse out loud. There's a detective shield from the 18th. And it's the real deal, not a fake. Don's voice falters then picks up speed.

//don't worry, Donald, you did what you had to do to save Christopher and Daniel//

His eyes come to me and finally a slight smile appears. "This could be an interesting trial, Mac. Has a sentient planet ever been a witness before?"

"Mother, how is Danny doing?" Stella is bagging Don's gun after first taking care of the shooter's weapon.

//needs blood . . . Janet says he's doing as well as can be expected . . . is that good//

Don's eyes crinkle and he rubs his chin again. "Mother, can you take me to him? We have the same blood type, b negative. I'll find out what she means and let you know."

//yes . . . now//

And Don disappears without even a shimmer. My continuity of evidence is all over the universe with this case. A friend of mine down in DC had been involved in the mess left over from an extra-terrestrial case when the planet first became sentient. I need to give him a call and find out how he coped.

I want with every fiber of my being to go with Don and see Danny for myself. But my duty is here and I have to finish this scene or the corruption trail we just found won't go any further. I want the bastard behind this. No matter how far up the chain this goes, I will get them all.

**********************


	20. Chapter 20

********* Gibbs ********* 

"Gibbs," I answer the phone brusquely. I'm not watching the clock. I'm not.

"Agent Gibbs, my name is Mac Taylor and I'm the head of the CSI lab in New York." 

The name sounds vaguely familiar to me. "What can I do for you, Mr. Taylor?"

"I'm . . . I'm not sure why I called. FBI Agent Jack Malone suggested I talk to you since you've been to a planet called Home." The hesitation in his voice tells me what I need to know.

"Yes, I have. I'm going to assume you've got a case with extra-terrestrial connections." I sit back in my chair. "Tell me about it and I'll try to help."

"I don't think . . . I mean the case itself doesn't seem to have any aliens in it but one of my men ended up on Home being operated on by a doctor named Janet." The strain in his voice reaches through the phone lines to me.

I stifle a sigh. "Agent Taylor, hold off on the explanation. I'm coming up. Just let me clear it with my boss and I'll be there in a few moments."

"Teleportation . . . it's interesting." He sighs. "Thank you, Agent Gibbs."

"Call me Jethro. I'll see you in a few." I hang up and hit speed dial one. It's Tony's day to leave early and take Ezra home.

"Hello, lover. What's up?" His sexy voice makes me smile.

"I just spoke to a harried CSI in New York who has an agent on Home being operated on. I thought I'd pop up there and explain a few things. Jack Malone gave him my name. I'd rather be coming home but he sounds like he's at the end of his rope."

"If Jack gave him your name, there's probably a missing person and/or a murder. Do you think you'll be home for dinner?" He sounds disappointed and that warms my heart.

"Don't know. How about you give me an hour or so to sort it out? Then I'll either come home or ask Mother to bring you both up to New York. We can have dinner with Jack, Martin, and Vin," I offer.

"Good idea. Ask Mother first if she's too busy."

//never too busy for you, bright ones//

"Thanks, Mother." Tony and I speak simultaneously and have to chuckle.

"See you soon, love," I tell him. "Give Ezra a hug for me."

"I will. Love you. Bye."

I call Tom in the director's office to let him know I'm popping up to NY for a consult. He chuckles and approves. Life is definitely different since Mother Earth woke up.

********* Mac ********* 

It's ten minutes and suddenly a gray-haired, steely-eyed man is standing in front of my desk. "Agent Taylor, I'm Jethro Gibbs."

Standing, I circle my desk to shake his hand. "It's Mac please, Jethro. Thanks for coming so quickly."

"By any chance, are you ex-Marine?" His grip is firm but not crushing.

"Yes . . . you too?" He has the look and his nod confirms it. "Welcome to the New York CSI labs, Jethro. I've got a case with tentacles going every which way. We're setting up in the break room so I can bring in everyone who's involved with it. I'll take you down."

"Good idea. Is Malone's team nearby," he asks me while we walk down the hall.

"Not in this building but a few blocks away."

"Mother, could you see if Jack or Martin is available to come over?" He speaks into the air.

//certainly//

I shake my head and blink. "Does that ever get . . . normal? Talking to a planet?"

He smiles. "You get used to it although we ask first if she's busy before we ask for a lift anywhere."

And suddenly Jack Malone is standing in front of us. "Hey, Jethro, it's good to see you. How's the family?" He and Jethro exchange handshakes and half-hugs while I wonder how they met.

"We're good. Do you guys have time for dinner tonight? Tony and Ezra would love to come up." 

"Great idea. Hi, Mac." Jack smiles at me while flipping open his phone and punching in a code while he walks along with us. "Martin, I'm at CSI headquarters with Mac and Jethro. Don't make dinner. How about dinner at Viggo's tonight with Jethro and the family?" He listens for a moment, unconsciously nodding at whatever is being said. "I'll call when we're done here. Bye, love."

"Excellent, Jack, I'll call Tony after this meeting." Jethro gives me his attention again. "Now, I'm ready to listen."

The break room is full which makes Danny's absence even harder to bear. Damn it, he should be here, cracking jokes and lightening the air with his zestful outlook. "Everyone, this is Agent Jethro Gibbs from the DC NCIS office. And you all know Jack Malone."

I introduce my team to Gibbs, and we sit down by the white board where Stella has been constructing a time line of events. Lindsey gets up to pour coffee for our guests, making sure I get a cup, too. She's thoughtful like that, and I smile my thanks.

"So, what you've got are a couple of dead cops, a wounded CSI, and a traumatized kid." Jethro sums it up for us.

"Chris is shaken but hanging in there." Jack leans back in the chrome chair, balancing on the back two legs. "He told us his dad had told him what to do if anything ever happened to either parent. Chris was to take a locked box from the floor safe in the parents' closet and get to whoever was still okay."

"Poor boy, he watched them both get killed." Stella shakes her head. "Did he get the box?"

"We've got it in our office." Jack's face is grim. "It's damning to say the least. The 18th is riddled with corruption from the bottom all the way to the top. Chris is in protective federal custody from here on out. In fact, we're contemplating taking him off planet."

I blink and exchange a wide-eyed look with Stella. "Where?"

"Home, for choice," Jethro says calmly. "Your Danny is already there and its colonists are warriors. It would give him something to focus on rather than his grief."

********* Don *********

Gua'ange . . . it's pretty good. I sip the juice slowly while I watch Janet start dripping my blood into Danny's veins. He's whiter than white and so still it makes my heart hurt. I'd give anything to see those big blue eyes open.

"He's going to make it, Don." The pretty red headed doctor smiles tiredly at me, and sits down with a sigh. Peeling off the latex gloves, she looks at me. "Is there a reason he'd tell me to 'let him go'?"

I hear the quotation marks around the phrase and feel as if I'd been punched. My eyes go to him again, muttering to myself. "Ah, Danny, is it that bad?" 

Dry-scrubbing my face with both hands, I think about what to say. "He's had a bad year. Danny grew up in a mob family and had to fight like hell to make his way out. I always knew I'd be a cop like my dad. We met my first year in college in Forensics 101. He's a science geek at heart."

She nods encouragingly. "So he doesn't have family support. What about friends?"

I rub the side of my face and take another drink, stalling for time. But one look with an arched eyebrow, just like Stella's, and she has me talking. "He's had an even rougher year with his co-workers and friends. One of the CSI's got fired then murdered. The gal replacing her isn't one of his favorite people. His supervisor is an ex-marine who I could have sworn would back him to hell and gone."

"But he isn't," she sits back with a little stretch of tired muscles.

"He was at first . . . then with the whole Tanglewood incident . . . um, something from Danny's past that came back to bite him in the ass. Mac closed down and backed away from him." It's my turn to sigh. "Danny likes him, maybe even more than he should."

"How about you, Don? Is he a friend you give blood to or something more?" She's relentless.

"I consider him my best friend." I've been doing nothing but think about our relationship for the last few hours. "I let him get away with pulling away before but no more. I finally figured out he's been trying to protect me from getting smeared with the same shit he's been fighting. Cops who don't back him up because he's 'dirty'. Colleagues who accuse him of doing slipshod work. Lawyers who look down on him and call him a 'street rat'. He deserves better."

"He's going to need you now more than ever." Her eyes go steely, and the hair on the back of my neck stands up. "One of the bullets lodged near his spine. Before I put him out to repair the bullet damage, he said he couldn't feel his legs anymore. He told me to let him go. He said no one would really miss him."

My heart squeezes so hard I can hardly breathe. "God."

"Home removed the bullets so I didn't have to cause any more damage to the nerves. It may just be the trauma from the impact or some swelling. But he might be paralyzed. He's going to need friends who will stand by him. No matter the final result, he's looking at months of physical therapy."

"I'll be there." I think about the CSI team. "So will Stella and Sheldon. I just don't know about Mac or Lindsay."

"If I think for one minute he's not getting enough support, I'll keep him here." Her voice is steel. "We're a family here and he'd make a great addition to our world."

********* Jack Malone ********* 

I look around the round table with the festive red and white checked tablecloth. Tony and Martin have their heads together; Vin and Ezra are talking a mile a minute on either side of a slightly bewildered Chris, who's hanging in there with surprising grace; Jethro is smiling at something the kids are saying. I am a lucky, lucky man.

Martin's gaze meets mine. His smile is so sexy, I can feel myself blush. Jethro pokes my arm. "None of that at the dinner table, Jack. Besides, the food's here."

Chuckling, I sit back to let the waitress set three bowls of different kinds of pasta in the middle of the table. She's back a moment later with three bowls of different sauces and finally a heaping platter of garlic bread. 

"That should hold you for a bit, Jack." Sally has known me for the twenty years I've been coming to Viggo's. "Everybody's drinks all right?"

When we all nod, she gives us a cheery 'bon apetite'. I use the prongs to put some spaghetti on Vin's plate while Tony serves Ezra some shell pasta. Once the little ones are okay, we start passing around the pasta and sauces. Vin's favorite is tomato and basil while Ezra likes the alfredo sauce. Chris takes a little bit of each pasta and sticks with the tomato and basil.

Martin takes the rigatoni and the creamy garlic sauce. I decide to do the same. Tony and Jethro both take the shells but Tony hesitates before just putting a little alfredo on his. Gibbs smothers his in the tomato sauce. The garlic bread makes the rounds until everybody is satisfied. And we're eating. Everything is so good, we pay the chef the ultimate tribute . . . contented silence.

Sally checks back and refills our water glasses while accepting our hums of appreciation. Vin accepts a little help from me on cutting the too long strands of spaghetti into more manageable proportions. He's got tomato red on both cheeks before I realize it. I dip a corner of my cloth napkin in my water glass and wipe him off.

He gives me a sweet smile before digging back in. My heart gives an extra thump while I look around the table at my family and friends. I am the luckiest man in the world.

"I know what you're thinking and you're right." Jethro says quietly. "You're one of the luckiest men in this world. I'm the other one."

We exchange a look and smile. I have a hard time putting into words how blessed I am. I find myself lighting several candles every Sunday when I go to mass at the cathedral. One for my first family living in Chicago and one for my current family, which seems to be expanding. 

Chris is still dazed at the speed of the changes in his young life. Martin and I are trying to give him support and space at the same time. But Vin is the one who's painting his love over the gaping wounds of his loss. It's so odd to watch the two of them speak without words. I've got the best little boy in the world and just maybe . . . a big brother for him.

********* Danny ********* 

I don't hurt that much. Huh, I think fuzzily. Must be on the good stuff. My eyes feel gummy and I think about opening them. But it's too much trouble so I just go back to sleep instead.

*** 

There's an odd sound near my head. It sounds like tinkling bells . . . teeny tiny bells. Kind a pretty and sweet. Never had much of that in my life. 'Pretty is as pretty does' my grandma used to say. She's been dead for years.

Maybe I'm dead. Doesn't hurt much. That's a good thing. I slip back into the dark.

*** 

Something smells good. Citrus-y but sweet. I smelled an orange blossom tree once at the botanical center where they found a dead body. I never knew they could smell so good. Not the dead body, he didn't smell good at all. But the petals lying on him, they smelled sweet. I take a deeper breath. Yeah, whatever it is, it smells just like that.

Hey, I'm lying on my side this time. Something squishy and soft is packed behind my back so I can't lie on it. There's a reason for that but I don't really want to remember why so I let it go and fall back asleep.

*** 

Something soft and silky is stroking my arm. It's warm and wet. Somebody is giving me a bed bath. I kind of remember my mom doing that once a lifetime ago when I had the measles. I think I was six years old. I was feeling miserable and she spent a long time making me feel better.

That's a good memory, and I wonder why it's been so long since I remembered it. Has it been that long since someone else took the time to make me feel more comfortable. I drift through my life. How sad.

But that reminds me of the kid. The little boy I was trying to protect. Was he okay? I frown and struggle to open my eyes.

"Hush now, Daniel Messer. You're safe." The voice is soft but firm and male.

I cough to clear my throat but what comes out is slurred. "K-k-k-kid . . . okay?" 

"Christopher is fine. You protected him with your own body." Big hands reposition me when I flail one arm and start to teeter. "Please be careful, Daniel Messer. Your body is still healing from the gun shots."

"How . . . how bad?" I finally get my eyes open. Can't see much without my glasses but the guy in front of me is big . . . really, really big.

"Excellent, you're awake, Danny." A new voice catches my attention and a blurry white shape comes closer. "My name is Janet Frasier. I'm the doctor who operated on you three days ago. Both bullets came out without a problem. There was some tearing and collateral damage but nothing serious. How do you feel?"

I have to think about that for a moment. "Fuzzy . . . tired . . . hot."

Cool fingers take my pulse, a cool hand touches my forehead. "Hm-m-m, Teal'c, could you bring me the digital thermometer?"

Something slides into my ear and I twitch. "It's all right, Danny. You're just running a bit of a temp. I'll add a little analgesic to your IV. Can you squeeze my hand?"

Sure, I think, and squeeze my left hand around her fingers. She tests my other hand and my chest. I wonder why she doesn't move lower and suddenly my eyes fly open.

And she gets right in my face, her hand tight around mine. "You are going to be fine, Danny. There's some residual paralysis left from the surgery. You are NOT to worry about your spine until another week or more goes by. Do you hear me, young man? You are going to lie here and continue healing. Get it?"

I nod shakily. "Got it, Doc. No worrying."

"Good. Teal'c, would you tell Don and Stella that our Sleeping Beauty has finally awakened." She strokes my hair back. "Everyone has been worried about you, Danny. There will be rejoicing at CSI headquarters today."

I manage a smile for her. She doesn't need to know the only two who'll be glad for me are the two coming in right now.

*************************


	21. Chapter 21

********* Tony ********* 

My back hurts. While I stir the scrambled eggs, I think over what we did yesterday. Routine day at work going over cold cases, watched 'Summer Magic' after dinner, gave Ezra a bath, read the Cat in the Hat for the thirty-fifth time, made mad passionate love to Jethro, and been made love to. Absolutely normal day and no reason for a backache today.

I think about taking an ibuprofen but I hate taking drugs so I make a deal with myself. If it still hurts at lunch time, I'll take something. Decision made, I listen to steps overhead. Ezra is up and Jethro is probably helping him get dressed. Our son is still working on tying his shoes. He can be impatient like me but Jethro is endlessly patient with him.

I wish I'd had a dad like him.

"Good morning, Daddy." Ezra runs in and hugs me.

I hug back. "Good morning, munchkin. Did you sleep well?"

"No dreams." He says it quietly but with a smile.

I move the eggs off the flame to one side and kneel down to his level. "Not all dreams are bad, Ezra." I cup his cheek and kiss it. "Some of my dreams can be scary, too. But I can reach out and touch Jethro. He makes all the bad dreams go away. Come to us if one like that comes to you."

He smiles so brightly, he glows. "I know, Daddy. If the door is open, it's okay to come in."

"And if it's closed, you can knock." I remind him. Having a child takes some of the spontaneity from love making but that just means we need to plan a little better. He nods and hugs my neck while I squeeze him tight.

Jethro is standing in the kitchen doorway, looking at us with so much love it makes my eyes tear. What the hell is wrong with me this week? My emotions are all over the map. Maybe it's getting everything I ever wanted or needed? A man to love, who loves me back; a child with a bright spirit; a job I love; friends who like me for who I really am and not an image I hide behind; a planet for whom I'm a 'bright one'.

//you make the world better my Anthony//

//love you, Mother// I wrap her in a mental hug just the way I wrap Ezra physically. Then I have to clear my throat to speak out loud. "Love you both, so much. How about eggs and toast this morning?"

Ezra nods vigorously. "I like your eggs, Tony. They're never nasty, slimy things."

And just like that, my stomach does a loop-de-loop.

********* Danny Messer ********* 

It's been years since I've been to a beach. Home whisked me here this morning and I'm lying in a hammock with a baby asleep on my chest. His little hand is fisted tight in my t-shirt and his brown hair is soft against my jaw. Jack and Teal'c are frolicking in the surf with their adopted twelve-year old.

Odd how normal it feels. Seems I've known these people forever. In the week since the shooting, I've been cosseted by Janet and Terry; listened to wondrous stories from Daniel and Samantha; eaten delicious meals prepared by Mel'tic. All the while staying in Jack and Teal'c's third bedroom, so I always have someone on call but can still be alone when I need to be. And Nat'an listens to me as if I were the font of all wisdom about Earth.

Kinda heady stuff, having my stories and experiences amaze someone. He's grown up so sheltered, with only books and his father's teaching. I wish I could teach him baseball. Maybe his dads can take him to a game when the season starts? I absentmindedly pat baby Seb's back when he squirms a little.

I like this new world. Even the fear of never walking again seems to be a faint, faraway emotion. Maybe Home is suppressing it for me?

//no, Danny, I'm merely wrapping my love around the pain//

Blinking back tears, I feel something I haven't felt in a long time. Acceptance, unconditional and complete acceptance. Have I ever felt that before? Maybe my mom felt it when I was born? My big brother must have felt it when he was teaching me to throw a baseball or he'd never have been so patient. Aiden always said she liked my weird sense of humor. At least she always laughed at my jokes.

A soft hand pats my cheek and a little face smiles up at me. "Ge-ble, de-de, daj-sa."

"Hey, Sebal'c, did you have a nice nap? You still dry?" I check the diaper but no surprises so far. His little lips are moving in and out but that's not something I can help with so I look towards the water.

Jack is already on his way up the beach. I've always been able to appreciate a great specimen but this planet has nothing but gorgeous men. Well, except for me.

"Hey, DM thanks for watching Sebal'c. Dinner time isn't it?" Jack smiles at us before picking up his son. Sitting cross-legged on the big blanket, he holds Seb to his nipple.

That still amazes me. Jack actually birthed his own son. I always wanted a family but it isn't going to happen now. From the moment I realized it was guys who made me tingle, I knew a family was out of the question. Still, I'd dreamed a dream or two when no one could see.

//you are worthy of love, Danny, do not let anyone tell you differently//

//I love you, Home//

Her return mental hug makes me feel so loved; I have to rub my stinging eyes.

"What's wrong, DM?" Jack's voice reminds me I've got an audience bigger than the planet. 

"I'm okay," I say over the lump in my throat. I think I'm jealous of him and Teal'c's loving relationship. 

"Try again." His voice is soft while he switches Sebal'c to his other nipple. "Are you in pain? Do we need to get Janet?"

I shake my head. "Nah, don't need to bother her. Home just told me she loves me. It's been a long time since anyone told me that. My mom said it once, I think."

Jack shakes his head. "You're surrounded by idiots, DM. Is there someone special you'd like to see now? Someone who could help you through this healing time?"

Mac, I wish Mac was someone like that. I sigh. "Nah, Don and Stella have already been to visit. They're busy, too busy to waste time with me."

"I do not think Donald Flack would see it as wasting time." Teal'c joins us with his nephew, and I appreciate their god-like naked bodies. Jack really hit the jackpot with him, although Jack has an excellent physique, too.

What had he said? I replay it and smile sheepishly. "Yeah, Don's been a better friend to me than I probably deserve."

"You do important work on your world, DM." Nat'an says solemnly from beside Teal'c. "Is this not worthy of respect and friendship?"

How the hell do I explain how badly I fuck up everything I do? Even when I try to do the right thing, I still end up on the wrong end of the stick. And the stick is usually beating me up. 

"Perhaps others do not appreciate your dedication to the law?" Teal'c is quite the diplomat.

"Thanks, guys. I don't hear that very often. I do my best but sometimes it's not enough." For some reason it's never enough. I paste a smile on my face. "Is there any more gua'ange juice in the cooler?"

********* Gibbs ********* 

Okay, I can admit I'm scared shitless. Rubbing a circle on Tony's back, I wait for him to finish throwing up in the kitchen sink. One minute he's fine and the next he's turning green and dashing over. Luckily, he'd already taken the eggs off the gas flame.

"Ick, double ick and blech." He's still head down over the porcelain. "Jethro, could you grab a glass for me? I need to rinse my mouth out."

"Sure," I pull open the cupboard and hand him a juice glass.

"Thanks." He runs the water and takes a mouthful, spitting it out almost immediately. 

Twice more and he finally swallows a little. I use the spray to rinse the vomit down the drain. He's still pale and the hand holding the glass is trembling. What the hell is wrong and what can I do to help?

"Okay, that was different. Can you finish off the eggs, Jethro? I bet you're both hungry."

"Are you okay, Daddy?" Ezra is on his other side, patting his leg gently. I'd forgotten he was there.

"Better, munchkin. I may have a touch of the flu. Mary Albright from team 6 went down yesterday. Tami said she threw up for six hours straight. Her husband took her into the emergency room because he was afraid she'd dehydrate." Tony splits a smile between us but I can tell it's an effort. "I think I need to sit down."

Ezra pulls out the chair nearest us and Tony sits down abruptly, swallowing convulsively. His eyes are closed and his fingers are white where he's clutching the table edge. Ezra stands as close as he can get while looking up at me anxiously.

I smile as reassuringly as I can while swallowing my own adrenalin. "I'll put the tea kettle on so you can try some of that tea you've been drinking."

"Ah, maybe," he grimaces. "Maybe some of the chamomile since my stomach is upset. But while the water is heating, please finish the eggs. Maybe some dry toast for me?"

"Sure, I can do that. Ezra, why don't you start the toast?" I move the kitchen step stool over to the counter and he reluctantly leaves Tony's side.

"Okay, Papa." He climbs up and pulls the bread closer to him so he can open it.

When we moved in together, Tony brought some fancy appliances with him. The four slice stainless steel toaster was one of them. He loves toast in all its forms from plain buttered to sugar and cinnamon covered. Ezra does too so it gets a work out most days. 

I finish stirring the eggs over a low flame while my brain makes a list. I better call Morrow first and call us both in sick. But getting Ducky is number two. Ever since Tony got infected with the plague, I worry about colds and flu. His lungs aren't one hundred percent and may never be again. What if he's really ill? 

The kettle whistles while I'm dishing up the eggs. Hastily, I turn off the gas to both burners. "Ezra, would you please look for the chamomile tea?"

"Okay," he scoots over the counter to the cupboard housing the variety of tea, coffee, cocoa, and apple cider packets. "Um, how do you spell chamomile?"

"C-h-a-m, those should be enough letters, Ezra." Tony still looks green to me when I look over my shoulder. "Jethro, I think we may need to call Ducky. The ache in my back is worse than my stomach upset."

His back? I blink at him. "Why haven't I heard about your back? How long has it been hurting?"

"A couple of days, off and on." He's sipping his water gingerly.

"Does flu hurt your back, too?" Ezra is clutching a box of Celestial Seasonings in his small hands.

"Not that I'm aware of, munchkin, but maybe it's a new kind." Tony smiles at him but it's not one of his best. "Can you reach the white tea pot, Ezra? I think it's going to take more than a cup today."

"I'll call Tom and the daycare center. I think we'll all take a sick day." I open the cabinet where we keep the cups and hand down the teapot.

"How many teabags should I put in, Daddy?"

"Four should do it, Ezra." Tony has his eyes closed again and the little pucker between his eyes tells me he's in pain.

"How about we make up a tray with the teapot, a cup and a couple pieces of toast?" I ask Ezra and his smile is good to see. "You put the teabags in and I'll pour the hot water.

"Maybe an apple," Tony muses out loud then bites his lip. "Nah, just a piece of toast, guys. My stomach doesn't appear to want to chance anything else."

Ezra is busy buttering our toast after carefully setting one aside for Tony. I take it to the table and run my fingers through my lover's hair. He leans into me rather like our son does when he's tired. My heart gives an extra beat every time. It's such an intimate thing to do . . . show weakness without fear it will be used against you.

"Love you, Tony," I lean down and kiss his temple. "Eat your toast while your tea is steeping."

********* Mac ********* 

The circles of corruption are widening beyond the 18th precinct. I have serious doubts about the Chief of Police's office and some of the city aldermen. The Feds are tight-lipped but Jack Malone is keeping me informed through nightly visits via Mother Earth. I still jump a foot when he appears out of thin air in my living room.

Maybe this old dog has reached his limits? 

I rub my forehead and wonder where I put the ibuprofen. A tap on the door brings my head up and I smile at Flack. "Come in, Don. What's the news?"

"I got a death threat in my locker." He sits down a little more heavily than usual. "Sheldon is dusting the area for fingerprints. But would they be stupid enough not to wear gloves? And what if it had been a bomb instead of paper?"

"Damn, this is escalating too quickly." I find the bottle of ibuprofen and shake out a couple, holding it up for Don with a questioning look.

"Yeah, I could use some." He holds out his hand and I it to him. He takes three and pulls out a bottle of water from his jacket pocket. After swallowing them, Don continues to drink until his bottle is empty.

I swallow mine with some cold coffee that's been sitting there since I don't remember when. "How far up does it go?"

"Not sure but too far if they can get into our locker room without anyone noticing." He looks tired and angry.

"Yeah, I almost wish it was aliens. Then our planet could pick them out for us." Remembering the story Gibbs had given us during our first get together, I almost smile.

"We all look the same unfortunately. It's what is inside their minds and hearts that's different from you and me."

//evil exists in so many ways// her sorrowful tones make me wish I could give her a hug

"We know, Mother. We do our best to keep people safe but too many times the bad guys work under cover." Don's voice is affectionate.

//all people have some greed in their minds// she speaks slowly

"True, we all wish for more of something. But there's a matter of degree and I don't know how you could tell the difference between someone who wants more chocolate and someone who wants to rule the world without reading their minds." I suddenly wonder if that's possible. Is she reading me right now?

But before I can ask, Don does. "Um, Mother, you don't read our minds, do you?"

//I can but usually I don't . . . there are so many of you// her tones are matter-of-fact

My eyes widen and I share a panicked look with Don. "We appreciate that, Mother."

//certain bright ones are always touching me . . . children and adults . . . more as time goes by//

"I wish we had more time to work with you, Mother." Don's voice is wistful. "Have you talked with Home lately? How is Danny doing?"

//he's sad and hurting . . . Home is taking good care of him//

'Hurting', that doesn't sound good at all. I swallow hard. "Don, is there anything we can do to help?"

He shakes his head, rubbing his chin in a familiar frustrated gesture. "The paralysis may be permanent. Janet . . . I mean Dr. Frazier says the nerves need time to heal. But everybody on Home is so nice, I'm afraid he won't want to leave to come back to Earth."

Not come back? I catch my breath in dismay and start shaking my head. "No . . . not just no but hell no, he has to come back."

"Why? You showed what you thought of him the last few months. Why should he come back so he can be marginalized into a disability retirement?" Don's voice is calm. "He told Janet to let him go before she operated. Tell me why he should come back, Mac. Give me one good reason. Or better yet, go to Home and tell him why."

I stare mutely at him. Maybe he's right? Maybe I should take a chance.

***************************


End file.
